If you are familiar with the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 70s, the words ‘defense’ and ‘Steelers’ probably go hand in hand. Even after members of the famous steel curtain hung up their cleats, Pittsburgh had many exceptional defensive years, especially during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Once Ben Roethlisberger established himself as one of the league’s best quarterbacks, the Steelers transitioned from a defensive to an offensive team. These teams were successful and fun to watch, but the term ‘offense wins games but defense wins championships’ rang true. Roethlisberger’s early years with an elite defense gave him two Super Bowl victories, but despite being part of many talented offenses later, he was unable to win more rings.
Despite a disappointing season in 2019, the Steelers had managed to put together an elite defense after success in the draft, free agency and exchanges. Acquiring safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins was the final piece of the puzzle, and pairing it with stars like TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward and Joe Haden brought out the best in all of their games.
But there is a possibility that they can improve further this season.
Pittsburgh’s poor offense without Ben Roethlisberger sank the 2019 Steelers, but the defense kept the team afloat longer than expected. An improved offense in 2020 should turn the ball around less and help the Steelers defense play more frequently, which could take an already excellent defense to new heights.
Roethlisberger is not exactly known for a ball control offense, which would benefit the Steelers defense more, but any offense he and offensive coordinator Randy Fichter execute should be better than the one Mason Rudolph / Devlin Hodges showed that the fans had to see last year.
With Roethlisberger returning from a season-ending elbow injury for the 2020 season, the Steelers have all the pieces to compete in January. Their defense has already proven to be an exceptional unit, but they don’t appear to be planning to stop there. Could they become the best defense in the entire league?
The Steelers starting the defensive lineup this season are a formidable group. His 7th front is a quarterback’s worst nightmare, with an extremely talented trio of outside linebackers TJ Watt, Bud Dupree and defensive end / tackle Cameron Heyward. Watt has risen to the top echelon of NFL players, while Heyward has been a staunch underdog in the trenches. Bud Dupree finally had his big year in 2019, and is looking to continue his success under the franchise tag this season.
Heyward’s defensive line teammate Stephon Tuitt is an intriguing player as he is a disruptive force that has simply struggled to stay healthy. If Tuitt can stay on the field in 2020, his duo and Heyward should be among the best in the league. Between Watt and Dupree, inside linebackers Devin Bush and Vince Williams are also a great couple. Bush is an odd athlete who appears to be on his way to becoming the Steelers’ next big linebacker, while Williams is a racing veteran with some skill.
After many poor years of secondary play, the Steelers found something special in their 2019 team and are looking to continue their success in 2020. Cornerback Joe Haden is not getting younger, but it turned into a Pro Bowl season last year. and still have some success. Good years left. On the other hand, Steve Nelson broke expectations as a free agent addition, providing year-round closing coverage as one of the NFL’s most underrated players. The Steelers managed to tailor their scheme to the strengths of slot defender Mike Hilton, which resulted in a good year for him, and Cameron Sutton and Justin Layne provided good depth by backing up internal and external positions.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers’ big commercial addition last year, is an All-Pro free deep that could improve further in 2020 after his first full offseason with the team. Terrell Edmunds managed the security strong point, and although the opposing offenses exposed some of his weaknesses, he proved to be a solid member of the talented Pittsburgh secondary. He’s very athletic and a strong tackler, he even landed second on the team in that area in 2019.
Pittsburgh has great pieces to deal with both the pass and the run. Their strong secondary core and rushing passes have allowed them to have a high turnover and catch numbers, while Bud Dupree, Vince Williams and newcomer Chris Wormley are excellent defenders against the race.
Pittsburgh has very few weaknesses in its defense, and is a consensus unit in the top 10 for most NFL analysts. The team has many individual defensive stars, but they have shown great ability to unite and succeed as a unit. His talent and success on the field are obvious, but how does it compare to the rest of the NFL?
The Steelers may not even have the best defense in their division for some, as the Baltimore Ravens have put together an impressive collection of talents for 2020. The Steelers have an eerily similar defense to Baltimore, with similar strengths and weaknesses in each group. positional. The Steelers appear to be a little better in most areas, but the Ravens remain a formidable defense that many rank higher than Pittsburgh going into 2020. The two AFC North heavyweights will have to fight this season. , not just for the best defense in the division, but quite possibly the entire NFL.
Earlier this year, I attempted to objectively classify AFC North defenses by positional group. Although there was some justified criticism of some of my rankings, the article still puts all four defenses to the side and really shows how closely the Steelers and Ravens are. You can read the full breakdown here.
The 49ers, led by a defensive line and an incredibly stacked linebacker corps, as well as the Bills, who have an elite high school and a strong front seven, are considered among the best defenses in the NFL. The Patriots, led by DPOY cornerback Stephon Gilmore, are also often considered better than Pittsburgh’s. Saints, bears, and porters also vie for first place.
The Steelers are on par with all of the aforementioned teams, and no defense seems to be above Pittsburgh. In an offensively dominated league, true elite defenses are few and far between, but Pittsburgh is among those few and will definitely challenge for first place in 2020.
Pittsburgh has the opportunity for the first time in years to become the gold standard for defenses in the NFL. The Steelers have built an offense strong enough to be a solid compliment to their defense, and they match well with the rest of the NFL units.
Having the best defense in the league would not only greatly improve Pittsburgh’s chances of a Super Bowl victory, but it would also give the team’s defense a chance to find a place among the best in Steelers history. .
Predictions of what will happen next season are purely speculative, but with the talent and opportunity the 2020 Steelers defense has, there is a chance that we are looking for the best defense in the NFL, or even the next ‘Steel Curtain ‘or’ Blitzburgh ‘.
There is a possibility that another decade of great defense for the Steelers is just around the corner.
