Name 5 NFL Teams with a more athletic defense than us.

I highly doubt anyone can name five NFL teams with a more athletically gifted defense than we have on a per player basis positionally. I understand there is more than just athletic ability but we literally have foundation and instincts covered as well.

DL - We have a HOF DT still playing at a high level and a promising rookie in Benton. Edge is stacked and quite frankly way way underutilized. Pedigree out the wazoo and should have performed better this year.

ILB - We have arguably the most athletic ILB group in the league. I highly doubt anyone can match these guys for speed and RAS. IN addition we have depth and we have guys that can thump and guys that can cover.

S - We have an elite safety tandem with arguably a top three safety in Minkah and a darn good complimentary piece in Elliot. We could stand to add some depth here.

CB - This is our weakest link. I believe JPJ is a true no. 1 already and a top 15 cb. The penalties do happen but the NFL is over the top right now with these PI’s. Not a fan of Donte Jackson but for a no. 2 he is ok. Beannie Bishop is average with upside in the slot. We can definitely stand to upgrade here.

Who has Pro Bowlers at all three levels?

Here are the rankings for total defense for this year:

1. Eagles
2. Titans
3. Jets
4. Dolphins
5. Texans
6. Packers
7. Broncos
8. 49er's
9. Chiefs
10. Ravens
11. Chargers
12. Steelers

Here are the teams that rank ahead or are equal to the Steelers by position of the above group
1. Eagles - CB, DT vs. Steelers - Edge, ILB and S
2. Titans - CB, DT vs. Steelers - Edge, ILB and S
3. Jets - CB vs. Steelers - Edge, ILB and S (DT a wash)
4. Dolphins - None
5. Texans - vs. Steelers - DT, ILB, CB and S (Edge a wash)
6. Packers - None
7. Broncos - CB vs. Steelers - DT, ILB, Edge and S
8. 49er’s - CB, ILB vs. Steelers - Edge and S (DT a wash)
9. Chiefs - DT, CB vs. Steelers - Edge, S and ILB
10. Ravens - CB and S vs. Steelers - Edge (DT and ILB a wash)
11. Chargers - None

Not a single team ranked above us has more talent than we do as a whole.
From a pattern perspective we are ranked below most of the teams at the CB position and tied with alot of them at the DT position. It is obvious we need another young talent at the DT position, however very few teams have more than one really good DT.

At CB we desperately need another good corner and we desperately need better coaching in that area as well. In fact outside of poor line play under Tomlins tenure it seems like we have never really been able to produce an elite coverage unit on the back end.

 

3 of top 5 missed Playoffs.

 

Seeing the Chargers there makes me think of Dan Fouts. If Chargers would have just been middle of the road, San Diego would have got to celebrate a Championship.

 

Or another way to say it is 9 out of the top 12 made the playoffs. I will say however investing in the defense in todays NFL is an exercise in futility when the defenses get penalized so much. What’s the point when they cater to the offense? With that being said the Bengals had a top tiered offense and didn’t make the playoffs. Its all about being a well rounded team. My point in all of this however is to point out we have loaded defense talent wise and it is the most expensive in the league and our head coach is the defect DC. With all of that we still rank 12th and many times this year and years past the defense has let down giving up long drives and scores late in games. The point is with all of that we still have failed or should I say Tomlin has failed. If were gonna invest in our defense we might as well go all the way and get a top flight DC in here to take advantage of the talent.

 

I have argued that the Steelers have upgraded their
53 man roster from years past. Their roster is top ten
So is it safe to say the Steelers are underperforming?

 

we might have the most athletic and highest paid defense ---but sometimes they don't play like it

 

There are 8 teams with a better record so yes the Steelers are top ten

They are also 8th in defense although that suffered the last 3 games

Im sure not everyone will agree with the facts

You are what your record says you are

We are all disappointed at how the season seems to be ending

 

I think the roster is better than previous years and they are slowly rebuilding

That said they have significant gaps / weak links in the secondary, receiving group and Oline, and their QB is a tier 3 guy at best

I’m not sure they are a top 10 roster tbh, a good offseason could get them there however

 

I have stated before and still believe we will have a very competitive team next year

I started to say this before last season and the pieces are coming together

I also believe a year from now I will be the only one who remembers I posted this so I’m safe

 

Just proves to me that this defense is overpaid for what kind of return we are seeing on the field. And it's only going to get worse as Heyward is well above 30, Watt on the wrong side of 30 and Fitzpatrick being underwhelming. Queen, Benton, Highsmith and JPJ are definitely 3 guys worth building around. For this investment/return, the Steelers are far better off investing in the offense.

 

But if we can pull off the upset on Saturday it will be a glorious season.

 

I'm saving this post and when we go 4-13 I'll bring it up for all to see

 

You will be out golfing and won’t remember where you bookmarked it

 

They actually overperformed their over/under win total was 8.5, most people had them finishing last in the division and missing the playoffs.

 

I thought that over was a easy bet to win and I was right. Heck, I won the bet with 5 games left to play.

I think the Steelers are 10 point underdogs Saturday. Weather forcing me to be stuck at home or I'd head to casinos and put money on Steelers. I'm not saying we win this game but I really believe we keep it close.

 

You mean in points given up which I agree is ultimately the most important stat and the one that really only matters. However I really would like to see them improve on yardage given up both in the pass and the run. It would mean alot less long drives given up and more three and outs. I think that would ultimately translate to more wins.

 

My whole point with this post and everyone missed it is we have the highest paid defense with the most pedigree and a HC dedicated to that side of the ball. It is an absolute indictment on Tomlins in ability as a coach on why we aren’t top five in nearly every category on that side, in my mind. Perhaps I am asking for too much. I think I was spoiled from the Lebeau years I guess.

 

Yea, easy take the points kinda game. It's a throw the records out the window game. Both teams have their playoff demons. Only scenario of the 4 that would surprise me is if the Steelers blow out the Ravens. I understand why the Ravens are favored like this, bit it's a rivalry game.

 

I think expecting top 5 in points and yards are reasonable expectations. The product is closer to the middle of the pack than elite when they're expected to be elite. It's not going to be better next year, with the defense getting even older, if they have the same 'bend but don't break' style that soley relies on sacks and turnovers. Elite teams already have the formula to beat our defense and they've had no answers to counter it.

 

They get zero help from the offense every single week, they were out there 38 minutes last week.

 

They do have an answer though it's the same answer they have for every problem, do plan A better...

 

This Bengals game is actually a great example of how flawed the defense is from a schematic standpoint. They did themselves no favors by not getting off the field on 3rd down situations. Burrow had bout 150 passing yards in the 1Q. Yes, the offense has stunk this season, but the defense has its warts.

 

I agree with what you are saying. Its a shame. TJ Watt should be at 15 + sacks. He had at least 3 taken away due to penalties. Highsmith should be at 10 sacks. Benton should have five sacks. Queen and Wilson should be 4 + interceptions and at least 5 sacks between the two of them. Minkah has the pedigree to produce alot more and so does JPJ. They are way underutilizing their talents. Players aren’t in put in position to succeed in this defense. It’s a real shame we have no coaches in place to challenge Tomlin. We have bunch of yes men and that is why you see the same product come out week after week with seemingly no answers to correct it. Tomlin is unwilling to allow outside influences to provide guidance and direction so therefore we are only as good as one man on the team and in particular the defense and that one man is Tomlin.

He talks all motinvational and tough but his actions and coaching style couldn’t be further from that. I like Tomlin as a person its just frustrating he is unwilling to give up any control. His lust for power and control either via fear or ego is holding this team back from taking the next step. I think he is similar to Harbaugh in alot of ways with both being good coaches. Tomlin is probably a little better however Harbaugh has two things that Tomlin doesn’t ... 1. The ability to see his own weakness and hire good coordinators and assistants and empower them to do their job by getting out of the way and 2. Harbaugh probably has had the best GM situation in the NFL through his tenure. I do believe we have made ground on the Ravens in that area.

If Rooney can grow a pair and actually state to Tomlin what needs to be done and strip Tomlin of some of his powers then perhaps we can take the next step and save Tomlin from himself in the process.

 

I won this bet, the Steelers roster is right up there.