Can the Steelers be the NFL's Best Defense in 2024?
The GOAT: TJ Watt, Photo Credit.
I’ve spent the last few weeks mulling over this question, and my genuine answer is why not? FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m a chronic all-or-nothing thinker.
I finally decided that I had enough of living in my own head about it, so I took to the Steelers’ Subreddit page to pose the question: Are we a top three defense, or am I being biased?
I fully expected to be met with optimism and jovial like-mindedness. I failed to remember that I was on the Steelers’ subreddit, and that a majority of the people that participate in that community are pessimistic yinzers that are still reeling from the Mike Tomlin extension. The way I see it is, on paper, we have as good a chance as any to be the number one defense in the world. Here’s why:
Let’s start with the 2023 season. Last year, the Steelers ranked 21st in the league in total defense, allowing 342 yards per game to opponents. That’s bad. A lot of that has to do with injuries all over the place, including our entire safety room (damn near), our entire ILB room (literally), and Cam Heyward. We had a “retired” Myles Jack fresh out of flight school starting for us at ILB in the wild card game against Buffalo, and no, that’s not a joke. However, in the same breath, we were tied for 6th in the league in fewest points per game, allowing only 19.1 ppg to opponents (for reference, the Commanders were dead last, allowing 30+ ppg to opponents). So, while injuries certainly played a significant role in teams running and throwing all over us, so too did Coach Tomlin’s play calling; particularly this funky ass tampa 2, bend but don’t break, play (or set of plays) that Mike Tomlin has been hanging onto since his days in Tampa Bay.
Sidebar: For those who don’t know, in a tampa 2 defense, you line up showing cover 2 (with two high safeties), and your middle linebacker drops back into coverage when he reads a pass play, creating a cover 3 of sorts. There are differences between cover 3 and tampa 2, but that is the most basic way I can explain it for now. I call Mike Tomlin’s version of the tampa 2 funky, because he likes to line up with a single high safety, showing cover 1, as if we’re gonna play man across the board underneath. Once we identify a pass play is coming, that single high safety will move to one side of the field, and another DB from the opposite side will retreat away from the play and cover a zone on the other side of the field. Then, the middle linebacker (or sometimes another corner) drops back, creating that cover 3. In essence, Tomlin likes to disguise his tampa 2 calls by lining up in cover 1. We are able to be successful in these disguises, because the Steelers do, in fact, play a lot of man defense, and by the time the QB has figured out the zones, there’s often some guy named TJ Watt bearing down on him. But you have to have the personnel to execute this play effectively. Last year, we did not.
I refer to this defense (which Tomlin likes to use on passing downs) as bend but don’t break, because it leaves us open to short throws and YAC opportunities, hence why we allow so many yards, but don’t allow big plays to kill us over the top by throwing over our defense. When you have DBs and ILBs that can’t cover and don’t understand route concepts (or are too old and slow to be able to do so), you’re going to get killed with this look, and we sure as shit got killed. So, why do I think we will fare significantly better in 2024 with this tampa 2 look? Personnel.
Consider the acquisition of Donte Jackson, likely filling the void left by Levi Wallace. I know I’m not the only one that’s thrilled that we don’t have to watch another snap from Wallace in the black and gold. Jackson is a great compliment to Joey Porter Jr., adding versatility and an awareness of route concepts, for looks like the one I described above, while JPJ shadows other teams WR1s like the DAWG he is. Same with the addition of DeShon Elliot. Last year, that SS spot seemed to be cursed. Guys showed some promise in that spot, like Keanu Neal, who eventually got hurt, and Damontae Kazee, who eventually got suspended. By the end of the year, we had to hope that Patrick Peterson could breathe life back into his football career, but he simply wasn’t in that spot long enough to gel the way you would have liked. In DeShon Elliot, we get a guy who many considered to be the glue of the Dolphins defense, making sure guys were in the correct position and playing his role to perfection. That defense was in shambles when he wasn’t on the field. He is awesome against the run, and does a hell of a job covering his zones and rallying to the ball. Not only that, but his versatility and reliability will allow Minkah to get back to playing his brand of football.
All that is fine and dandy, but when you think back over the last six years, what has been the Steelers achilles heel on defense on passing downs? If you didn’t immediately think “inside linebacker” then you don’t watch the Steelers. I’ve been beating this drum all offseason, and I’m not about to let up now: PATRICK QUEEN IS A PITTSBURGH STEELER. To me, he is the reason that I think this tampa 2 look that I’ve been referring to (the one that has been driving me NUTS since 2017), could actually be quite effective this year. Patrick Queen has the speed to cover sideline to sideline, and the play recognition to blow up jet sweeps, outside runs, screens, and throws to the flat. The recurring theme among all of these newcomers is versatility. These guys are versatile enough that these disguised coverages may actually work against some of the elite QBs we’ll be seeing, especially at the tail end of 2024.
Obviously, I’ve spent a majority of this post talking about this defense as it pertains to that weird ass tampa 2 look. I am well aware that the Steelers are predominantly a cover 1 and/or cover 3 team. I only took that tampa 2 look as an example, because it has failed miserably in the past, and I wanted to really highlight the way that Mike Tomlin likes to disguise his coverages, and how I think the additions to our defense this offseason compliment that.
To address the more obvious things, we’re bringing back all of the starting 5 “linemen” (of course, including TJ Watt, and Alex Highsmith in that equation) from last season. The biggest argument against our defense being among the best is the lack of depth at the NT and DE spots. As valid as those concerns are, they’re only concerning when you bring health into the equation, and as of now, those guys are healthy. Cam Heyward is up there in age, but he’s going to be playing for his life as he continues to push for another big contract to wrap up his career. Not only that, I fully expect Keeanu Benton to take a big leap as a pass rusher heading into his sophomore season. If he can take a significant leap against the run too, that’s even better. If he doesn’t, however, we have a new linebacker room with Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, and Elandon Roberts (returning from last year), who are all tremendous against the run, and should be able to pick up any slack from the defensive line. Also, another drum that I won’t stop beating: don’t sleep on a guy like Ryan Watts to create some splash against the run either from that slot corner, or safety spot.
To wrap this up, I just want to say that, particularly in the middle and back end of our defense (LBs and DBs), I think we’re as good as we’ve been in a very long time. Our regular defensive calls, which mostly consist of a five-man pass-rush with man coverage behind it, is certainly going to benefit from the depth we have at the CB position. Gone are the days of watching Levi Wallace and James Pierre get left on islands and burnt to crisps. Corey Trice Jr. and Darius Rush will certainly help in that regard, as well as Cam Sutton (yuck, I know, but it’s a fact). That’s why, in my opinion, this could very well be the league's best defense when it’s all said and done. The run-heavy style of an Arthur Smith-led offense will also help keep the guys on the other side of the ball fresher than they were last year. So, yinz tell me. Am I being biased? Or am I spitting facts? I can’t fuckin wait for training camp. Here We Go!
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