Steelers 2017/18 hold the best defense against tight ends. Why?

In Football Outsiders DVOA Ranking, the Steelers hold the best defense against tight ends.

In your opinion, what characteristics (players, tactics, schemes, etc ...) made this possible?

Note: The DVOA ranking takes into account the opponents and the league average. Therefore, the quality of TE faced is already considered.

 

Interesting stat.
I’m stumped for an answer.

Butlers schemes may have taken out the seam routes where TEs would kill us before? Moving away from zone blitzes etc.

Sean Davis wasn’t as bad as we thought?

Sean Davis was worse, and teams didn’t need TE yardage because they could find receivers deep?

Shazier and general has increase in speed negates the TEs getting as open?

 

Ummm we faced like 7 third string QBs?

 

Played Ravens twice and Max Williams isn't impressive.

Played Browns twice Nijkou was a rookie with a rookie QB, non factor.

Played Bengal Twice, Eifert was a no show

4 gms against NFC north. Ebron, Rudolph, and hurt Aarons Rodgers meant no big TE plays. The Bears used blocking TE's and ran the ball.

Of the six remaining two of them are worth noting. Gronk and Kelce.The Texans and Jags didn't utilize them and the Titans were held in check.

 

Tired of this lol seems like they kill us anyways. Rather just face the best

 

In which case we’d do amazingly against receivers as well. The point was why we did well against TEs in particular. You could even argue that a backup QB is more likely to look to the TE than a starter.

Thorn’s answer looks convincing but the OP did say the stats accounted for calibre...