Even with Aaron Rodgers leading the offense, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ strength remains their defense. Anchored by DL Cam Heyward, EDGE T.J. Watt and FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, the defense has been the anchor of the organization for several seasons. Beyond the personnel, what’s the defensive scheme? It’s a 3-4 base that in foundation hasn’t changed since the 80s, but that’s surface level. What kind of coverages does Pittsburgh play? That isn’t even something captured in our yearly defensive charting and is information that, frankly, is hard to find.
Courtesy of Sports Information Solutions and our own Clayton Eckert, we have the data. A nuts-and-bolts article breaking down how often Pittsburgh has run each type of coverage over the past three seasons. There are even more layers and combination coverages, but to keep it slightly more simplified, we’ll stick with the core looks.
From Cover 3 to the all-out pressure Cover 0, here’s the percentage breakdown from 2022-2024. We’ll offer analysis below.
| Coverage Type | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover 0 | 1.1% | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Cover 1 | 27.3% | 20.8% | 25.8% |
| Cover 2 | 14.1% | 12.4% | 12.5% |
| Cover 2 Man | 9.5% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Cover 3 | 25.0% | 31.4% | 30.8% |
| Cover 4 | 10.4% | 9.8% | 7.6% |
| Cover 6 | 2.2% | 4.2% | 3.3% |
Off the top, the coverages haven’t changed much. What the team ran in 2022 is still primarily run today. Given that head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have remained in their positions over that span, it isn’t a shock to know the rates are similar.
The most popular coverages are Cover 3 (30.8 percent) and Cover 1 (25.8 percent). Pittsburgh is primarily a single-high defense instead of two-high shells that have become more common league-wide to prevent the big-play passing game. The Steelers only ran true two-high looks, Cover 2 or 2-Man, a combined 17.7 percent.
Cover 0 is the least-used coverage, and frankly, I’m surprised it was even that high last year. That number could be a product of linebackers rushing on Green Dog/”Hug” rushes where the ‘backer will rush if the back or tight end stay in to block. No team relies heavily on Cover 0. The Chiefs led the NFL in usage at just 5.5 percent, but it’s certainly not part of the Steelers’ DNA.
These numbers are useful, but how do they compare to the rest of the NFL? Where are the Steelers heavy and light? The table below shows where Pittsburgh ranked in usage of each coverage in 2024.
| Coverage Type | 2024 NFL Rank |
|---|---|
| Cover 0 | 24th |
| Cover 1 | 9th |
| Cover 2 | 18th |
| Cover 2 Man | 10th |
| Cover 3 | 4th |
| Cover 4 | 30th |
| Cover 6 | 24th |
Predictably, Pittsburgh ranks top 10 in Cover 1 and 3. In Cover 2, they’re average to above in Cover 2 Man. Ranking near the bottom is Cover 0, Cover 6, and especially Cover 4. Beat reporters indicate more quarters usage in the spring. We’ll see if that becomes a greater point of emphasis in the regular season.
One other data point. I combined the amount of single high coverage (Cover 1 + Cover 3), to see where Pittsburgh’s total usage ranked. The team’s 56.5 percent single-high usage ranked second in the NFL, only trailing the 62.2 percent Cleveland Browns. Steelers and Browns included, only seven teams ran single-high at least half the time.
None of these numbers are inherently good or bad. It’s important to just quantify the Steelers’ coverage scheme with information that isn’t easy to find. There might be value in the team playing less single-high, though the team rectified it 2023 issue of allowing too many big plays while keeping the same coverage shell. This info could also prove useful if and when there’s a change in defensive coordinator, though Mike Tomlin clearly has plenty of influence over the defense. Pittsburgh plays less Cover 2 than you’d expect given league-wide trends and Tomlin’s background in Tampa Bay and Minnesota that were steeped in those coverages.
