The Defense

The Steelers defense:

Overall in yards allowed per game - 1st
Yards allowed per play - 1st
Passing yards allowed per game - 1st
First downs allowed per game - 1st

Rushing yards allowed per game - 2nd
Rushing yards allowed per play - 2nd
Passing yards allowed per play -2nd

They are 10 on overall scoring, but that stat is skewed due to all scoring (special teams giving up scores, offense ginving up pick-6s and fumble returns for TDs, etc. going against the defense.

Say what you will about DL and the defense, but they are a solid unit - one of the best in the league.

The thing is in today's NFL Defense does not win like it used to. The offense needs to win games in this NFL.

The Ravens are terrible against the run (something like 28th) yet they are in the playoffs.
The Pats, are one of the worst against the pass, but they are in.
The Texans gave up something like 27 passing TDs this year, and they are in.

Our offense/ST turned the ball over 30 times this year - only 5 teams worse (Philly, Arizona, Buffalo, NYJ, KC)

 

Sacks and takeaways. That's the metric that this D lacks. If they were #1 or #2 in those categories they'd be hosting a playoff game.

 

Nice stats, OP!

The issue is an anemic offense. That is strangling the life out of the team.

With all that talent, the offense only scored in the 30 point range once, this season. 31 points in a losing effort against the Raiders. Most of the time they are maxing out at 24-27. That's not enough when you consider how much they turn the ball over, and where they turn it over (seems like it's in Steelers territory 80% of the time).

The fact that the defense is so solid really underscores just how terrible the offense is... In the loss to the Bengals, the defense gave the offense three extra possessions and the best the offense could muster was 10 points. That's so far below the line that it's almost unbelievable considering the talent that exists on that side of the ball.

I still believe defense wins championships, but the offense still has to do their part.

 

If the offense had done it's freaking job they would be hosting a playoff game this year. We're bottom 3rd in the league in scoring and rushing. In case you forgot we were winning until a pick 6 against the broncos. We were winning until the turnovers against the raiders. The defense shutdown the browns, but the offense turned it over 8(EIGHT FREAKIGN TIMES)times. We held the ravens to 6 offensive points. We held the Bengals to 6 as well. We were down to our 4th adn 5th cb's against the cowboys and still had a chance to win except for an int. THE DEFENSE AS A WHOLE OR THE LACK OF SACKS ISN"T THE PROBLEM!

 

You're right. The offense can't get down the field. If they start at their 20/30 yd line, then they stall around the opposing 30/40 yd line. If they start closer to mid-field then they might muster a field goal.

I'll say it again... In the loss to the Bengals, the defense gave the offense 3 additional possessions and the offense did nothing with them. They didn't score any points. They didn't even get ahead of the field position battle with any of those extra possessions.

Pathetic.

 

Bull. They had 3 turnovers on Sunday and no points from them. The losses this year and no playoff showing is all on the offense. 6 losses by 6 points or less. Between not getting TDs and kicking field goals, fumbles, and dropped TDs is what kept us from hosting a playoff game. Matter of fact, kept us from being the #1 seed.

People are forgetting when the defense use to get pressure on the qb, sacks, and forcing turnovers, that the defense was getting eat alive by the passing game. Everybody was dinking and dunking us to death.

Get the offense to scoring points, no fumbles and no dropped passes and the rest of the league can have the turnover category.

 

Fans place way to much emphasis on sacks and takeaways. Pressure and perceived pressure are more then the number of sacks a defense has. Taking care of the football is more important then producing turnovers. Taking the ball away is nice but can't be counted on to win games on a weekly basis.

 

Maybe I have looked at the wrong stats, but they are not close to being #1 or #2 in each of those categories.

 

Uh, yeah, I did look up the wrong thing. LOL

 

Can we keep Mr. Lebeau, please?

 

The offense stunk it up this season, there is no doubt but don't give the defense a pass as we look at the stats. The Raiders game was lost by the D, yeah, Brown fumbled but all it would have taken was 1 stop in the second half, 2 quarters and all that was needed was 1 stop and nope, every single second half possession resulted in a score and Carson Palmer had almost a perfect passer rating, Carson Palmer who was close to the league lead in INT's was almost a perfect passer. Tony Romo had over 111.4 passer rating against the number 1 defense, agood defense stops teams late in the game when there is a lead not fold like a lawn chair, in fact we remain the league leaders in giving up leads in the 4th qtr. and losing games in the final 2 minutes, number one doesn't mean they're good by a long shot.

 

I 3rd that.
I want DICK!?!?!

 

i was one of those that was crying from the rof tops that if only the defense would get some sacks and take aways that put the offense in good field position it would make a huge difference.

well against Cincy the defense did that and some and the offense couldnt do anything.

im a huge Ben fan, but even if his numbers say otherwise he had a bad year. he missed a lot of open recievers and left a lot of points out there. im not going to put it all on him. i think the other 10 guys deserve a lot of blame also as well as Haley.

i think Haleys play calling at times was terrible. the fact that he kept calling bubble sreens drove me crazy. i can remember 1 of them working and that was in preseason when AB took it for a td.

i hope they can get the oline straightened out this offseason. i hope they can get Wallace and Sanders signed. i hope 1 of the rbs steps up and becomes a clear #1. i hope the defense can get younger and still remain a top defense and most of all i hope Heath comes back fully healthy.

 

PLAYMAKERS. Timmons is the only one left,
until you can find PLAYMAKERS who on a consistent basis
can make plays, well, we are who we thought we were. Spence showed signs of that.
lets hope he can come back and have an impact. Once again
I hate to beat a dead horse, but you must get pressure on the opposing QB
in the the NFL, most passers are just to accurate to let them stand back and throw.
It will be pitch and catch all night long.

 

The defensive playd well enough in the last 3/4 of the season to win each game.

You got your wish against Cincy - 3 turn-overs and 6 sacks, oh, and a loss.

The defense is not keeping this team from the play-offs, the lacking offense is!

Many play-off teams this year would love to have our defense.

 

We will end up 8-8 (hopefully) this year with the number one ranked Defense in the league. This stat says it all. Wonder if this has ever happened before? How could this happen with a elite QB? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

the defense were growing strong while the offense dissapeer , that's the story of this season .

 

When you go into the last preseason game with your O line starters set at:
LT Max Starks
LG Willie Colon
C Maurkice Pouncey
RG David DeCastro
RT Marcus Gilbert

And in week 13 your starting O line looks like this:

LT Max Starks
LG Maurkice Pouncey
C Doug Legursky
RG Ramon Foster
RT Kelvin Beachum

Thats how...

 

My thoughts exactly--the defense was shaky to start, but finished strong. The offense started well and finished horribly.

 

The stat doesn't say it all. Yards allowed per game is not the true measure of a defense's performance.

 

Last game - 4 turnovers and 4 sack, The only TD was a result of a huge fake punt (special teams but will go as a run against the D) and a bogus PI call. As much as people hammered on Victorian, he did nothing wrong on that play. He was coming back for the underthrown ball and the WR had no idea where it was, and there a=was no real contact to warrant PI. I like our defense, and with this exact defensemost teams should win most games.

 

This years D has allowed 252 points...This DOESNT include XPTs... FGs are included...The O/ST allowed 32 points against (Int,Fum K/P return)....XPT excluded..Thats just shy of 16 points a game allowed for our D.....That SHOULD be good for 11 or 12 wins....Our D did its job in 2012.....O SUCKED!!!

Im sure Im telling most of you something you already know.

Please FO FIX this!!

 

This offense's failures in the red zone and lack of production in points relative to yards have been a drain on this team for several years now. The lack of discipline and failure to protect the ball have hurt as well. I've been defending the defense for years and this year the offense's flaws were undeniable.

One question I have about this offense is the inability to keep a healthy oline. Every single year we get killed up front. Does this happen to every team? Is it something in who we pick? How we train? Our scheme? Is it all the above?