A lot of attention will be paid this week to Justin Fields and the offensive side of the ball for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And rightfully so after they had a breakout performance versus the No. 1 defense in the league entering Week 3. But the defense is what makes the whole machine work, and its domination through the first three weeks can’t be overlooked.
“The Steelers held the Chargers yesterday to 10 points,” said FS1’s Craig Carton via Breakfast Ball. “I think it’s a big deal because the Steelers are now 3-0 and their defense is by far the best defense in football. They’re only allowing eight points per game.”
Mind you, this is coming from a fan of the New York Jets, who have their own aspirations of claiming the title of best defense in football this year. Mike Tomlin said after the game on Sunday that the Steelers wanted to prove they were the best defense on the field. The Chargers held that title entering Week 3, but the Steelers wrestled it away from them after a dominant performance.
Allowing just 8.7 points per game and 229.7 yards per game on defense, the Steelers hold the No. 1 spot in the NFL through three weeks in both major categories.
Tomlin often talks about the importance of winning on weighty downs, meaning third and fourth downs when opponents are trying to convert. The Steelers are allowing opponents to convert on just 21.88 percent of their third-down opportunities (seven of 32). That is a decisive victory on the weighty downs.
The Steelers allowed minus-five yards of total offense to the Chargers in the entire second half. I’m not sure I have seen anything quite like that before.
This is what happens when all three of the stars on defense are healthy with T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick playing well. It has been a while since we have seen all three at full strength at the same time. The Steelers also added some great complementary pieces like Donte Jackson, DeShon Elliott, Patrick Queen, and Payton Wilson this offseason. Not to mention rising second-year players like Joey Porter Jr., Keeanu Benton, and Nick Herbig.
The Steelers play quite a few good quarterbacks this season. They already bested Kirk Cousins and Justin Herbert, but they still have Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and Patrick Mahomes on their schedule. That should make it tough to maintain their status as the No. 1 defense in the league, but it will make it all the sweeter if it comes to fruition.
The Steelers are spending the most money in the league on their defense this season, so they need a big performance from that group to be competitive in 2024. They are getting everything they paid for and then some, and there is still room to grow.
