The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is supposed to carry the team.
So far, it’s not.
It’s been crippled by injury. Stephon Tuitt hasn’t played a game. Tyson Alualu is out. Many are playing hurt, most notably T.J. Watt, the leader of the groin gang.
But an elite defense manufactures results, not excuses.
The Steelers are supposed to have a big-play defense. Last season, it led the NFL in sacks (56), quarterback hits (137) and interceptions (18). It had 27 takeaways, second in the league.
This season, after five games, the Steelers have 10 sacks, 25 quarterback hits, two interceptions and four takeaways. None of those figures ranks higher than 18th in the NFL.
The Steelers’ offense is about what we figured.
The defense isn’t.
It’s not stealing games.
The Steelers deserved to lose at Green Bay two Sundays ago, but that result could have been stolen. But the defense allowed scores on three straight possessions sandwiching halftime.
Improvement starts with the pass rush. Consistent pressure isn’t there. The Steelers don’t blitz.
The Steelers brought the heat a lot more last season, quite often with nickel back Mike Hilton. The Steelers blitzed on 40.3% of their defensive snaps.
But Hilton is gone, and the Steelers almost exclusively are rushing four men. They’re blitzing just 17.9% of the time this year. The defense lacks aggression and risk-tasking.
The pass rush must get better. The defense must be truly elite.
If it doesn’t, the Steelers won’t make the playoffs. A team built on defense must win games based on defense. The Week 1 upset at Buffalo must be the rule, not the exception.
