While the offense has been the primary problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers through the first five games of the season, the defense has had its fair share of struggles as well. The Steelers rank 30th in the league in total yards allowed, ranking 25th against the pass and 29th against the run. The run defense hasn’t lived up to expectations so far as the Steelers have allowed 125-plus yards on the ground in four of their five games.
Losing DL Cameron Heyward the first week of the season expectingly affected the defense, but Pittsburgh has the depth to at least hold its own along the defensive line. Guys like Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton are solid run defenders who can take on blocks and control gaps against the run.
The run-defense issues in Pittsburgh have multiple levels as the team has surrendered several explosive runs early in the season to the 49ers and Browns as well as playing with a lack of gap integrity and struggling getting ball carriers to the ground, allowing extra yards after contact and broken tackles. The defense has also been adversely affected by the poor play of Pittsburgh’s offense, spending more time on the field thus having to face more rush attempts as the opposing team looks to control the clock.
Heading into their Week Seven game against the Los Angeles Rams, however, the Steelers are in great position to get their run defense back on track, assuming that their offense doesn’t put them in disadvantageous positions throughout the contest. The Rams are expected to be without RB Kyren Williams, who has had an impressive start to the season, as he deals with an ankle sprain. Williams has rushed for 456 yards and six touchdowns on 97 carries, adding another 13 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. Along with Williams, backup running back Ronnie Rivers is expected to miss four to five weeks due to his knee injury, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The Rams are down to sixth-round rookie running back Zach Evans on the 53-man roster. Los Angeles also has veteran Royce Freeman on the practice squad. Having conducted the scouting report on Evans coming out of Ole Miss, he is a capable runner who can slash opposing defenses with a blend of burst and power. Still, Evans is pretty green when it comes to career usage (four carries for 10 yards) while Freeman is a veteran journeyman who has bounced around the league with the Broncos, Texans, and Panthers. The Rams’ offensive line has exceeded expectations based on their personnel, but still ranks in the bottom half of the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Still, given the attrition at running back as well as the starters assembled along the offensive line (notwithstanding former Steelers G Kevin Dotson playing well for Los Angeles to this point), Pittsburgh is in prime position to have a good day neutralizing the Rams’ rushing attack. It appears to be a similar scenario personnel wise to when they faced the Texans in Week Four where they allowed 139 rushing yards on 38 carries (3.65 YPC), limiting the number of big runs against Houston but struggling to get off the field on those weighty downs. Pair that with the offense doing its part regarding ball possession and staying on the field will also be key in terms of the amount of time Pittsburgh’s defense will be on the field in this contest.
The Rams will look to continue to establish a presence on the ground in this matchup, even without their top two backs in the game. However, things are shaping up for Pittsburgh to have a “get right game” with its run defense, hopefully making Los Angeles more one-dimensional in a pivotal road game coming off the bye.
