The Crazy Bad & Crazy Good Steelers Defense

The Steelers defense has seen it’s share of ups and downs this season. The cliche thrown around has been “bend but don’t break” which is certainly a defining characteristic of a unit that has seen it’s share of good and bad… so much of both, that it’s been a crazy year.

One of the craziest statistics out of the gate: the Steelers ranked 30th in passing yards given up. The only two teams that were worse? The New York Giants and New Orleans Saints (one of which is looking for a new head coach, the other wants to trade their coach.)

The fan base has long been frustrated at the secondary woes, and their criticism is well justified. This crazy bad distinction of that 30th ranked pass defense goes to Antwon Blake:

While Coach Tomlin stuck by Blake as a starter for the final games, we saw #41 get beat by Cleveland’s converted quarterback Terrelle Pryor… for his 2nd-ever NFL catch… on 3rd and 9… with 28 seconds left… for 42 yards…

While Blake’s season basically sums up the Steelers pass defense issues, who would’ve guessed this crazy good statistic (which even surprised me!)

Not Richard Sherman. Not Joe Haden. Not Aqib Talib, Chris Harris, Darrelle Revis or Josh NormanWilliam Gay. The only starting CB in the NFL to not allow a touchdown this season. Combine that with Ross Cockrell and Brandon Boykin grading higher than the likes or Revis or Talib on PFF’s cornerback rankings (at 21st and 23rd respectively) and you have yet another head-scratching, crazy statistic!

But wait! There’s more!

The Steelers defense was also the 5th best against the run, 11th in points against and finished with 30 takeaways, good for 3rd best in the league behind Carolina and Arizona: the top two seeds in the NFC.

Pittsburgh finished 3rd in sacks, recording 48, their first 40+ sack season since 2010 (their last Super Bowl appearance.)

More impressive, is that 16 players contributed to at least one-half sack, with the most coming from DE Cam Heyward (7.) I would be remiss not to mention S Will Allen in this category. Allen finished the season with 4 sacks: the most from a Steelers DB since Deshea Townsend had the same, all the way back in 2004.

The defense overall managed an impressive 17 interceptions, good for 6th in the league. (And also the most picks since the 2010 season.)

That bend but don’t break mentality was ever present in the redzone, where the Steelers took the ball away 7 times, the most since 2005 (which was also 7 and also a Super Bowl season.)

It’s that mentality that made this year a crazy good and crazy bad season of odd statistics for the defense. Whether myself or others feel there’s still work to do, I am very pleased with the upward trend that a group of relatively unproven defenders put together such a complete season.

As long as they hold opponents from scoring touchdowns and force turnovers, those passing yards look less and less important.


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