The passing defense has been a source of frustration not just for the fans this season, but for the Pittsburgh Steelers players. I wrote yesterday about safety Will Allen’s challenge to his teammates to cut down significantly on the passing yardage that they surrender over the final six-game stretch.
After averaging 233 passing yards allowed per game through the first quarter of the season, the passing defense has surrendered a great deal more yardage by volume since then. Over the course of the last six games, the Steelers have allowed a total of 1753 passing yards, an average of 292 yards per game.
For the season, the team ranks 28th in the league, giving up 278.4 yards per game. But as I touched on yesterday, one area in which the team has greatly improved is cutting down on the big plays allowed, and I have the data to back it up.
The Steelers have given up 31 explosive plays through the air this year, which is tied for the 10th-fewest this year. But on a per-pass basis, they actually give up the fifth-fewest big plays in the league. Pittsburgh’s five plays of 40+ yards or more also ranks favorably, giving up the eighth-most per pass attempt faced. Here is the chart below:
| Team | Attempts | 20+ Plays | Attempts Per 20+ | 40+ Plays | Attempts Per 40+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 342 | 26 | 13.15 | 2 | 171 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 368 | 28 | 13.14 | 3 | 122.67 |
| St. Louis Rams | 347 | 27 | 12.85 | 4 | 86.75 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 371 | 29 | 12.79 | 6 | 61.83 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 393 | 31 | 12.68 | 5 | 78.6 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 375 | 30 | 12.5 | 5 | 75 |
| Carolina Panthers | 404 | 33 | 12.24 | 6 | 67.33 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 352 | 29 | 12.14 | 3 | 117.33 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 368 | 31 | 11.87 | 8 | 46 |
| Denver Broncos | 342 | 29 | 11.79 | 5 | 68.4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 380 | 33 | 11.52 | 6 | 63.33 |
| Green Bay Packers | 362 | 32 | 11.31 | 11 | 32.91 |
| New England Patriots | 393 | 35 | 11.23 | 10 | 39.3 |
| Washington Redskins | 324 | 30 | 10.8 | 6 | 54 |
| Houston Texans | 343 | 32 | 10.72 | 7 | 49 |
| New York Giants | 410 | 39 | 10.51 | 6 | 68.33 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 364 | 35 | 10.4 | 12 | 30.33 |
| Buffalo Bills | 395 | 39 | 10.13 | 7 | 56.43 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 330 | 33 | 10 | 7 | 47.14 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 359 | 36 | 9.97 | 8 | 44.88 |
| Oakland Raiders | 418 | 42 | 9.95 | 7 | 59.71 |
| Miami Dolphins | 338 | 34 | 9.94 | 8 | 42.25 |
| Tennessee Titans | 294 | 30 | 9.8 | 7 | 42 |
| Cleveland Browns | 339 | 35 | 9.69 | 4 | 84.75 |
| New York Jets | 377 | 39 | 9.67 | 6 | 62.83 |
| Chicago Bears | 318 | 33 | 9.64 | 7 | 45.43 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 324 | 34 | 9.53 | 2 | 162 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 351 | 38 | 9.24 | 8 | 43.88 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 387 | 43 | 9 | 8 | 48.38 |
| San Diego Chargers | 309 | 35 | 8.83 | 9 | 34.33 |
| Detroit Lions | 335 | 38 | 8.82 | 10 | 33.5 |
| New Orleans Saints | 348 | 44 | 7.91 | 13 | 26.77 |
