The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers led the NFL in almost every defensive metric that mattered and only allowed one opponent to gain over 300 yards during the regular season.
It was a generational defense and one if its key players isn’t making comparisons, but LaMarr Woodley does see similarities between that unit and the 2023 Steelers defense.
He made the connection when asked about Alex Highsmith, who has done well representing the No. 56 that Woodley once rocked in Pittsburgh.
“I’ve seen Highsmith play and he can go,” said Woodley, who had 11 1/2 sacks, four fumble recoveries and an interception in 2008 when the Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl. “It’s a great combination with him and Watt because it’s kind of like with me and James Harrison. When you’ve got two linebackers that can get after the quarterback, it’s hard to pick and choose who you’re going to block. You’ve got those two guys coming off (the edge) and you’ve got Cam Heyward in the middle, just like how me and James had Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel.
“When you’ve got guys like that getting after the quarterback then it makes (outside linebackers’) job easier because you’ve got a bunch of dogs that can get after him.”
Of course, there are as many differences between the 2008 and 2023 defenses as there are likenesses. The Steelers have question marks at nose tackle, inside linebacker and slot cornerback. The 2008 group had explanation marks at those positions with players like Hampton, James Farrior, Larry Foote, and Deshea Townsend.
It also had Ryan Clark as a running mate for Troy Polamalu on the back end, giving the Steelers the best safety tandem in the NFL. Also, one oft-overlooked reason for that defense’s success was its superior depth.
Go back and look at how many games defensive starters missed in 2008 due to injuries, and yet the Steelers still led the NFL in scoring defense (13.9 points per game) and total defense (156.9 yards per game).
A lot would have to fall into place for the 2023 defense to even approach the rarified air of the 2008 unit. But, as Woodley pointed out, there is a foundation for it to be one the best in the NFL this season, something Highsmith expects.
That starts with the bookend pass rushers and, of course, good health prevailing so Watt and Highsmith can play together for most of the 2023 season. If that happens, Woodley said, look out.
“You’ve got to pick your poison,” he said. “You can’t put all of your attention on Watt and you can’t put all of your attention on Highsmith. You have to balance it out a little bit because both of them can get after it. And if you do that you’ve got Cam Heyward coming up the middle so it’s like, ‘Shoot, what are we going to do?’”
