The Pittsburgh Steelers above all are known for defense. The Steelers have had some of the best defenses in NFL history. More importantly, those great defenses produced playoff wins and Super Bowl trophies. The Steelers are currently in the midst of a seven-year playoff win drought, and they are banking on the 2023 defense to help end that streak.
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Steelers' Cam Heyward and TJ Watt.
Mark Kaboly covers the Steelers for The Athletic and joined The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 on Thursday. He was asked by co-hosts Dorin Dickerson and Adam Crowley with four potential Hall of Fame talents on defense, if anything less than a top-three finish in overall defense would be a disappointment.
“The thing about ranking defenses is there is so many different ways to rank them,” Kaboly posited. “I don’t really care how many yards they give up. I want to know how many points they are going to give up.”
The NFL typically rates defenses on the number of yards they give up establishing a ranking. An NFL defense could give up 350 yards and consistently hold their opponents to 10 to 17 points with outstanding red zone defense and be ranked outside of the top 10. Kaboly’s point was valid, and the duo quickly followed up asking if the Steelers should be top three in scoring defense.
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Steelers' Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
“They should be,” Kaboly continued. “I am not a big strength of schedule guy, because you never know how the strength of schedule is going to be. However, it doesn’t look like it is going to be as difficult as it might have been last year. They do have the talent, it’s just a matter of coaching.”
Teryl Austin is entering his second season as the defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh. Austin has an embarrassing amount of riches when it comes to defensive talent. Last season, his defense suffered without TJ Watt. The team was dramatically better with the former 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year on the field, but this season, the group has to be more well-rounded to return to the postseason.
“We talk about Matt Canada and how important his role is this year,” Kaboly concluded. “Austin has a big role too because he is going to have to mix and match a lot of these different guys. There are so many different options they have right now to be able to come with a specific game plan week to week to make them the best that they can. Everything is lined up for that defense to play as well as possible.”
Photo Credit: Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin (right) and offensive coordinator, Matt Canada (left) laugh with one another at a practice during training camp.
Matt Canada is a popular target for Steelers fans. The pressure to maximize Kenny Pickett’s potential is a huge storyline for 2023. He will be under a microscope for every play call. The Steelers appear to be committed to a ground-and-pound approach on offense which should allow the defense to be fully rested when they take the field.
Austin’s defense played very well with Watt in the lineup in 2022. The defense has three other potential Hall of Fame players in Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Patrick Peterson. It is the most talented defense on paper the Steelers have fielded in a decade, but it is not without questions.
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Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb take part in drills led by Aaron Curry during OTAs at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
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Peterson will be 33 years old and is excited at the prospect of playing the slot, but he has not proven he can do it on the field. The inside linebacker imports of Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb are theoretical improvements in the middle of the Steelers' defense. They are both proven tacklers of humans at the NFL level, but they have not played a down in black and gold.
Austin’s defense has to be the best part of the 2023 Steelers to have a serious chance at winning a playoff game. Steeler Nation doesn’t expect much from Canada at this point, they are just hoping Pickett is talented enough to overcome a basic offensive scheme in close games. The defense is expected to be dominant, so the pressure to perform is much greater for Austin according to Kaboly. It might not be fair, but it is the reality in Pittsburgh this season.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is Kaboly right that Austin has more pressure than Canada? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
