The Pittsburgh Steelers have remained one of the most consistently competitive teams in recent memory. No matter who he’s coaching, Mike Tomlin has managed to keep the team afloat and in the playoff race year in and year out. If you’re familiar at all with the Steelers over the past two decades, you know that’s due to the efforts of the defense, especially the last few seasons. Former Steeler safety Mike Logan seems to be well aware of that.
As a player who spent 10 seasons as a defensive back in the NFL, few people on the planet know more about the defensive side of the ball than Mike Logan. Logan appeared on The Draft Nation LIVE on Friday, and he spoke about his appreciation for the way Pittsburgh is playing defense in 2024.
“I like this team defensively, where they’re going,” Logan said. “I get a little jealous watching them guys out there. They’re breaking records and doing things we didn’t think could be done again. Just to watch players like T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, it makes you feel good.”
While the offense has picked things up over the past few weeks, the Steelers’ defense was a major factor in their wins to begin the season. The Steelers have their 6-2 record now because of staunch defensive efforts early in the year. They beat quality teams including the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers because of those efforts.
The simplest of metrics, points against, shows how dominant the unit has been. Pittsburgh’s allowed just 119 points through eight games. That’s tied for the second-fewest in the NFL, an average of just 14.8 points per game. They’ve struggled slightly against the pass, giving up the 10th-most passing yards in the league at 1,758, and partially due to teams throwing as they play from behind. However, they’ve been dominant against the run. The Steelers have allowed 724 rushing yards, the fifth-fewest in the league.
Logan knows what a good Steelers’ defense looks like. Playing for Pittsburgh from 2001 through 2006, the ’01 and ’02 teams ranked top-ten in points allowed. As did the 2005 defense that truly tightened up for their playoff run, holding all four opponents under 20 points. That included high-octane offenses like the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks, the No. 2 and No. 1 scoring teams that year. Pittsburgh is only the third team in Super Bowl history to achieve that, joining the legendary 2000 Baltimore Ravens and 1983 Washington Redskins.
We’ll see if Pittsburgh’s defense continues to make Logan proud as the team continues their push for the playoffs.
