With five sacks in two games, it’s no surprise to see the Pittsburgh Steelers among the league’s best in pass rush win rate. According to ESPN’s analytics, the Steelers are tied for 6th in the NFL in that category, winning 56% of the time.
Here’s the top ten, per ESPN’s article.
1. Ravens, 64%
2. Falcons, 63%
3. Eagles, 61%
4. Buccaneers, 60%
5. Rams, 57%
6. Bears, 56%
7. Steelers, 56%
8. Saints, 51%
9. Cardinals, 50%
10. Seahawks, 46%
You can see they’re not far off from the top three, led by the Baltimore Ravens, who have been able to feast on the Miami Dolphins’ and Arizona Cardinals’ weak offensive lines the first two weeks, building leads and pinning their ears back.
No team has more sacks over the last two years than the Steelers, a combined 108 from 2017 to 2018. They’re the only team to hit triple-digits over that span.
In addition to the five sacks they’ve put up this year, the defense has registered 18 pressures. Based on our defensive charting, we’ll do a full breakdown of the numbers every four weeks, here are the Steelers’ pressure leaders.
TJ Watt: 5
Stephon Tuitt: 5
Bud Dupree: 4
According to the article, Watt has one of the best win rates for any edge rusher. He ranks tied for 7th in the NFL at a 28% clip along with the Rams’ Dante Fowler. Chicago’s Khalil Mack leads the league at a 38% win rate.
On the other side of the ball, David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey have earned high marks for their pass protection. Both rank in the top ten at their respective positions in pass block win rate. DeCastro is tied for 10th at 96% while Pouncey is also at 10th at 95%. The Steelers’ offensive line performed well against the Seattle Seahawks after a sluggish debut versus the New England Patriots.
Pittsburgh, however, didn’t crack the top ten in offensive line pass block win rate. One team who did? Sunday’s opponent the San Francisco 49ers, who rank 7th in the league. They’re led by RT Mike McGlinchey, who will square off versus Watt in what should be a great battle and top matchup of the weekend.
