Steelers building wall against the run
PITTSBURGH – It’s just two games but a trend is developing with the Steelers defense.
This current group might not be a Steel Curtain, but for opposing running backs, it has proven to be something akin to banging your head against a brick wall.
Though the pass defense is allowing yardage, the Steelers are doing a good job of keeping opponents out of the end zone, thanks in part to that improved run defense.
The Steelers have allowed just two touchdowns in their first two games, including one in a 24-16 win Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals that improved Pittsburgh’s record to 2-0.
The Steelers have permitted just 101 yards rushing on 31 carries in their first two games. Take away three quarterback scrambles for 15 yards and that falls to 86 yards on 28 carries by running backs, an average of 3.1 yards per carry.
That’s Steelers defense circa 2008, when that unit carried the team to a Super Bowl.
“We realize that the teams that have a lot of success on us, when they’re able to run the ball, play run and pass, it’s hard to compete with those things,” said Steelers outside linebacker Arthur Moats. “When you’re able to make them one-dimensional, you’re able to have a lot of success against them.”
That has been the mantra of the Steelers defense for years, but they haven’t been as stout in recent seasons. In 2013, the team gave up 115.6 yards rushing and 4.3 yards per carry. Last year, it was 91.2 and 3.8.
Most impressive, the Steelers are doing it with largely the same group of players that lined up last season. Rookie nose tackle Javon Hargrave has played sparingly as the Steelers have gone to more nickel and dime defenses, putting fellow rookies Sean Davis and Artie Burns on the field in the secondary.
“It’s great. It really turns the game into 7-on-7 for me,” said free safety Mike Mitchell. “I joke around with them, when you let me play 7-on-7, I’ll diagnose the play and I’ll bang you out plays in the secondary. It just makes our job so much easier when they’re dominating in the run game.”
While the Steelers are allowing 348 yards passing per game, way up from the 272 allowed in 2015 when they ranked 30th in the league, much of that has been empty yards.
The Steelers have given up just 16 points in each of their first two games and conversions of just 7 of 26 third down attempts (26.9 percent), including 4 of 16 against Cincinnati.
Houston led the NFL in third down defense in 2015, allowing a conversion rate of 28.5 percent.
“It made a difference in the football game,” said Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis, a McDonald native and Fort Cherry High School graduate. “We didn’t have enough positives on first down, and we didn’t convert the third downs.”
The Steelers are not only finding ways to stop opponents on third downs, their red zone defense has been outstanding.
Opponents have scored a touchdown on just 1 of 7 trips inside the Pittsburgh 20. Included in those stops was the Steelers keeping the Bengals out of the end zone Sunday after even with a first-and-goal from the one.
Ryan Shazier recorded a tackle for a 2-yard loss on first down and the Bengals threw incomplete twice after that before settling for a field goal.
“We’ve got one of the best quarterbacks, best running backs, best receivers in the league,” said Shazier. “We know that when they’re moving the ball, it’s hard to stop them.
“We’ve got to hold them to a field goal or get a turnover. If we do that, with our offense, it’s a big win.”
It’s becoming a recurring theme for these Steelers.
But as they are quick to note, it is a very small sample size.
“I’m not ready to say that just yet. It’s only the second game,” linebacker James Harrison said. “I think we’ll get four games before I feel comfortable deciding what is what.”
This is just the fourth time in head coach Mike Tomlin’s 10 seasons the Steelers have started 2-0. The other years were 2007, 2008 and 2010. … Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has thrown a TD pass in 39 consecutive home games, tying him with Dan Marino for the third-longest such streak in league history. Drew Brees (55) holds the record. … Roethlisberger has three touchdowns in each of the first two games. Terry Bradshaw (1982) is the only other Pittsburgh quarterback to do that.