Your thoughts on the steelers defense in 2024?

What are your expectations for this unit in 2024?

Last year, they were 6th in PPG which is great but they were also 21st in yards allowed.....Of course, injuries were a major problem in the second half of the season especially at the ILB and safety position but all year, it was a bend but don't break defense which can work against several teams but against great offensive teams, it works less as we saw against the 49ers and the Texans last year

The D-line is a concern for me, especially for the depth, I hope Heyward has at least another year left in the tank...I expect a bounce back year for Fitzpatrick if he is healthy.. .Let's hope the run defense will be fine, that's another concern for me

For now, my expectations are top 5-10 in turnovers and PPG and top 15 in yards...Good defense but will they be competitive against the elite offense that the Steelers have a good chance to face in the second half of the season like the Bengals, Eagles, Chiefs?...I have doubts but we will see

 

Officially I’m concerned that they are getting older. Young players need to step up and give the veterans some plays off to keep the energy. Not overly concerned but it will take everyone doing their job.

 

Dline is probably my biggest concern. Cam is a shell of himself and besides Benton not much else there to really trust.

 

Ogunjobi? Lowry? Adams?

 

Better at CB, ILB, and Safety, status quo at OLB (TJ please stay healthy). DL status quo (Heyward a little left in the tank for one more year).

but it won’t matter too much if our offense cant move the chains and keep the defense off the field. Man our chances pretty much rest on the arm of a 36 year old Russell Wilson.

 

I think we can be better. Just getting more from the O, and having less time on the field for the D will help. I've never really cared about yards given up....it's all about sacks ,turnovers, and points IMO.

 

I just don't want a bend but don't break defense since firstly, it doesn't work against the best offense if you do that against other offenses, secondly, it's not sustainable in the long run and thirdly, our offense is less often on the field when the defense can't leave the field quickly enough, so less chance for our offense to score... If the defense is better to force 3 and out, the better our field position on offense will be too

 

I just fear injuries as I do ever season since 1976. TBH, before 76 I never gave a thought to how much they can effect a team. I was young and cocky for the Steelers and I expected to win 3 straight SB's. That year forever changed me. Yes, injuries are part of the game but they sure the hell affect the outcome of games.

 

Great topic and good post. I think so much of it depends on health and in particular will Cam Heyward be the Cam of old or will he just be old? If he bounces back and we play Benton more beside him instead of Ogunjobi I think we have a chance to really be a good defense. I still think we will be middle of the pack against the run just because we don’t seem to stress stopping it like we used too. I think Deshon Elliot and a healthy Cam will be a big part in helping stopping the run. Where I think we will really improve is pass defense and in particular third down defense and over the middle of the field. I think our pass rush is going to be better with a healthy Cam and a Benton with experience along with adept MLB’s at blitzing. Watt and Highsmith go without saying. The real improvement will be our ILB coverage on TE’s and RB’s with Queen and a young Payton Wilson. In addition Minkah will be playing more center field allowing him to getting back to picking off passes.
I think we also be better on the outside with JPJ having a year under his belt and a better man coverage guy across from him with speed.

SO I think your assessment is about right on PPG and Yards allowed. I do think we will be top five in sacks and turnovers and a top ten in pass defense. Probably around 15th in run defense. I will take that if we improve in other areas. I don’t ever see us getting back to being dominate in run defense unless we commit to getting some bigger DT’s who can two gap and maintain multiple blockers but we just aren’t built like that anymore.

 

I found that philosophy so stupid when the Chargers used it when they had an amazing QB, Dan Fouts. I wanted to punch the D Coach when he spouted that crap. What he should have said was our D is bottom 5 and Fouts will have to double his efforts.

 

I have no problem to focus more on the pass defense that the run defense....This is what elite defense like Baltimore and KC did last season,their run defense were nothing special but their pass defense were elite.....But this is still important when this is time to stop the run or when you face a very good run offense be able to contain them...If this is too easy to run the ball against you,you are in big trouble

 

The chargers defense in the Fouts era were garbage from 1981 and after that!...I mean they were bottom 3 in yards and PPG against...For me a bend but don't break defense is something like bottom 10 in yards but top 10 in PPG!

I remember in 2017,the patriots defense were 29th in yards but 5th in PPG...They had a easy schedule after their first 4 games but in the super bowl they gave up 41 points,so sometimes it can last forever!

 

nick herbig may have something to say about the OLB status quo. dean lowry may have something to say about the DL status quo. they should be better front to back and side to side.

 

DL is the concern. I think the LB room looks pretty good and the Safety room looks pretty good too. My concern is the middle of the defense with coverage and the DL stopping the run. But I do really like the look of this defense so far.

 

They'll suckass

Thanks Tomlin.

 

Potential to be great. Excited to see it unfold

 

i hope your right about Herbig and Lowry, because i don't see TJ or Heyward playing a full season healthy.

 

herbig would be starting on most teams. we have some depth at DE and DT as well. we shall see if a couple of young guys step up. lowry was a good vet pickup that should help give us snaps that heyward can rest. we actually have a pretty nice rotation at this time. better than previous years.

 

I like our chances barring injury to key people. Still are questions on DL, CB Safety position.
Players at these positions need to step their game up.

 

Cam has about as much of a chance staying healthy all year as hitting the Powerball. Dline is definitely the biggest area of concern. Oganjobi what has he done? I’ll admit I don’t know much about Lowry. Where did he play previous?

 

He has started 84 games in seven years with the Packers and one with the Vikings. He is a solid player. He's not a big pass rusher, but he at least helps with depth. He's an upgrade over Leal and Loudermilk.

 

DeShon Elliott should be a big help at safety. I hoped they would bring Rowe back as depth, but that hasn't happened. I do think they need another corner, especially with Sutton out eight games, I still think they could find another nickel corner at least.

Heyward's contract situation is also an issue.

 

Well I think starting Benton over Ogunjobi will certainly help both the run and pass defense. Ogunjobi is my least favorite player on the defense. Underwhelming and disappears for games at a time. Lacks penetration and doesn’t command double teams.