The Steelers rank second in scoring defense and ninth in yards allowed, with the fourth-most takeaways. But Alex Highsmith and the rest of the defense believe they are still not approaching their potential. Other teams are scoring points, after all, and making plays, and we can’t have that. Entering the bye week, they are 6-2 but are ready to hit the lab.
OLB Alex Highsmith said on Wednesday he believes the Steelers still have “a lot more” ceiling, via the team’s website. “Even though we won the other night, it felt like we didn’t play well at all, especially on the defensive side of the ball. We still have so [many] areas we can grow in.
“We’ve just got to continue to get better. We can’t be complacent, we can’t get comfortable, because we know we’ve got a lot of tough games, a lot of tough ball ahead of us. We know our ultimate goal, so we know we’ve just got to always want to get better and have that championship detail”.
That last part is worth stressing, because that is, after all, the end goal. You don’t develop championship detail just to give it your best shot. The Steelers want a championship-caliber defense because they want to win the championship. And they know that, even though they have won games, they are exposing cracks that others can exploit. The run defense the last time out certainly started to crack, even fissure.
Through the first half of the season, the Steelers posted a 6-2 record, including a pair of three-game winning streaks. But were it not for a blown fourth-quarter lead by this defense, they would be 7-1. Add on top of that an inability to stop Colts QB Joe Flacco as the backup until the second half, and this could be an 8-0 team.
Of course, you could go the opposite route and look for reasons the Steelers could be 0-8, instead. But they have a long history under Mike Tomlin of coming out on top in close games, so we are long past the point of coincidence. Part of their ability to win those games is precisely because of that detail Highsmith talks about.
And that includes stars like T.J. Watt making star plays, like his sack-fumble on Monday night. Yes, he produced that with his talent but also his study habits. And Steelers rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr. ended it with an interception, his third and two games. What does he credit to his turnaround? Tape study, of course, including sessions directly with Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers have a lot of new pieces on defense this year, namely Patrick Queen, DeShon Elliott, Donte Jackson, Payton Wilson, and Bishop, all of whom are playing big roles. But their overall structure has remained largely the same for decades. It’s just a matter of tailoring it to each of them—and then getting them to execute it at a high level. For this 2024 Steelers defense, that’s still a work in progress despite their success.
