Can The Pittsburgh Steelers Defense Avoid The Mishaps Of The Past In 2023?

Historically, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to use the mixture of a pounding rushing attack and a stifling defense to close out games in the final quarter. In 2022, though, what had been a consistent strength of the team had become something that needed to be learned rather than an existing ability. Granted, 2022 held more than a few bumps in the road for a Steelers team hunting for that identity; Mitch Trubisky started as the starting QB, but a painfully lackluster few games gave way to the Kenny Pickett era, right after halftime vs the New York Jets in Week 4 (a 20-24 loss), generational superstar defender, TJ Watt, was injured in the opening game against the Cincinnati Bengals and didn't return for another seven games (the Steelers went 1-6 during that stretch), and despite clawing back during the second half of the season, Pittsburgh missed out on the playoffs.

While there were several factors playing into the difficulties of 2022, one of the primary challenges was the heartache of watching a proud defense allow opponents to impose their will on a near-weekly basis. At times it seemed like the Steelers were a televised scrimmage for some of the more elite squads faced (Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, to name two).

Omar Khan made it very obvious that it wasn't just the fans who watched the limited rotational ability and coverage issues that plagued the Steelers' defense week in and week out. Khan aggressively pursued pieces that were not only impactful from a fan's perspective, but also fit a specific role that may have been missing during last year's campaign. From the front office to the couch, in Pittsburgh, it is a fact that one player or one bit of creativity won't be enough to get the team to that next level, but for the Black and Gold, it starts and ends with defense.

Steelers coverage as bad as it seemed

Sometimes the final score and energy surrounding a game can make it seem worse than it was, but for the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, 2022 started out pretty much as bad as you could ask for. Across the league, it became known that it didn't matter whether you were the starting receiver or a rarely-used slot player; there was a very good chance that you were going to ball out.

To give this some perspective, since it could be seen as a harsh, knee-jerk reaction, here are some statistics from players who are considered well above average in the NFL. These numbers are what they averaged per game in the league during 2022:

- Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings) - 106.4 yards per game, 0.47 TD's a game, 7.5 receptions a game

- Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins) - 100.6 yards per game, 0.41 TD's a game, 7 receptions a game

- Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams) - 90.2 yards per game, 0.35 TD's a game, 4.4 receptions a game

- Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills) - 89.3 yards a game, 0.65 TD's a game, 6.4 receptions a game

These might just be numbers on a screen, but it was important to set a baseline before pulling back the curtain on just how much of a liability the Steelers' defense was for a struggling, young offense in 2022. The four receivers that we just took a closer look at are considered at the top of their positional group and consistently produce, which means their statistical output should be a ways above the league average. Now, the reason these statistics are so important is because of the kind of production that the Pittsburgh defense allowed to players who, respectfully, are quite a ways down from those top four names given earlier.

For example, when the Bills played the Steelers in Week 5 of the 2022 season, the expectation was that Stefon Diggs would be the major problem, but as it turned out, playing a 2022 Steelers defense means anyone can be a star! Gabe Davis is considered a solid player for Buffalo, but - not counting the Pittsburgh game - Davis topped out at 93 yards (a loss against the Vikings) and scored a total of 5 touchdowns when he wasn't playing a Steelers' team. His stats in that Week 5 game versus Pittsburgh? Davis caught 3 passes for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns! That might be a little more understandable if they had shut down Diggs, but he also had a game (8 catches, 102 yards, 1 touchdown), and the third man down even got involved with Khalil Shakir pulling in 3 passes for 75 yards and adding another touchdown.

When you use any of the three receivers that all had their way with the Pittsburgh secondary, they all were on par or broke well past what an average top WR should expect to produce. When the third WR on a depth chart can have a legitimate shot at outproducing top NFL wide receivers against a defense, there are issues, to say the least.

Steelers burned badly and often

This was not a one-time instance, though the 38-3 drubbing by the Bills certainly was a low point. Over the course of the season, the Steelers allowed seven different receivers to surpass the 100-yard mark, averaged giving up 222.3 passing yards a game to opponents, and the reason those middle-of-the-pack numbers hurt more than they normally would have is that the rush defense was also not up to par (only six games holding the opponent under 100 yards on the ground).

When the secondary was being burned against Buffalo, the Bills also ran for 120 yards and a touchdown (over 6 yards a carry). In the 14-16 season-crushing loss to the Ravens in December there were no positives found in the defense allowing 215 yards rushing on a day when the secondary finally had a killer game (86 yards given up to receivers, no touchdowns).

In 2005, when Ben Roethlisberger was just getting his feet wet in the NFL, it took a dynamic rushing attack and a brutal defense to give him the space, freedom, and backup to be himself and not waver under the big lights. In 2008, when the offensive line was being questioned as the Steelers' identity, it was the defense that stepped up and reminded the world what Pittsburgh was about. Well, in 2022 that was something that the season didn't contain until the late surge started to show that cohesiveness that defined early Pittsburgh championship squads.

Can the Steelers exceed expectations in 2023?

Any other offseason would have been a crapshoot regarding the necessary moves and players needed to get the team from where they were to where they want to be, however, this is Khan's offseason and so far it has been something special to watch. That isn't only because we are finally aggressive and in the conversation for game-changing signings, it's because the right people are being brought in.

A rebuilt secondary knows what happened in 2022 and will bring boatloads of pride into the season to make sure nothing of the sort happens again. The defensive line was a worrisome spot with injuries exposing weaknesses, but there are so many things about this offseason that give hope for a position group that may be aging, but is prepared for a true breakout year. Patrick Peterson, Keanu Neal, and Damontae Kazee were signed and/or brought back to the team to bolster a secondary that was burned often by lesser players, Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Breiden Fehoko coming to the front seven as multi-faceted players with depth ability or ready to add competition to a proud, hungry group.

The strategy of "wait for the draft and see" was aging poorly, so this was the perfect time to bring in new perspectives on how to acquire needed talent and then how to properly utilize it. With a new group, there is always a time for adjustment, but this is not going to be the same kind of defense as fans winced through last year. From the front office to the trenches, this season is one where proving what you are matters more than just saying what you are. For as long as I can remember, the Steelers have been grit, strength, and bruising football; in 2023 we will be back to that standard, with some new twists thrown in as well!