Through 1 week, Steelers in once-familiar position of leading NFL in rush defense

A quick look at the NFL team statistics through one week finds the Pittsburgh Steelers at what used to be a very familiar place.

No. 1 in the league in rush defense.

During Monday’s season-opening win, the Steelers allowed the New York Giants an NFL-low 29 rushing yards on 20 attempts, a per-carry average of 1.5 that also leads the NFL. One of the league’s best running backs, Saquon Barkley, was held to 6 net yards on 15 carries.

The Steelers four times from 2001-10 led the NFL in rushing yardage against, and they finished among the top three in the NFL in that category eight times from 2001-12.

Though that standard of excellence has slipped in recent years, defensive coordinator Keith Butler is a holdover on the Steelers’ defensive staff dating to 2003, when being stout against the run was a mindset and a mandate for defenses that began a seven-year run of top-five NFL rush defense rankings.

“The run is still very, very important (to offenses),” Butler said during a video conference call Thursday. “It’s still very, very important to us to stop the run. You get (opposing offenses) in situations where we know they are going to throw the football and then try to defend them in those circumstances.”

Butler said even with passing taking up a higher percentage of offense than ever before, stopping the run is wise. Butler pointed to three of the league’s best teams last season — the Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens — and how each had strong run elements offensively.

“A lot of people think (emphasizing stopping the run) is outdated (strategy),” Butler said. “I don’t.”

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