The Pittsburgh Steelers used to be the standard for defense in the NFL. That helped them build a dynasty in the 1970s, and then, in the 2000s, it helped them win two more Super Bowls. Dick LeBeau was the architect of those more recent defenses as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator from 2004-2014. Unfortunately, they aren’t living up to the standard he helped set. Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long believes the Steelers’ defensive issues actually started after HC Mike Tomlin assumed more of an active role on that side of the ball.
“The defense hasn’t been the same since Dick LeBeau left,” Long said recently on his Green Light podcast. “People can look at Teryl Austin and be like, ‘It’s him,’ but this is Mike [Tomlin’s] defense. I feel a little bit frustrated for Steelers fans because it feels like nothing changes if you watch the patterns. Thirty points each week the first two weeks.
“They’re not as good as we had this defense looking on paper. It’s a $150-million defense, and they are just not playing like it. The guys up front, as good as they are and as much as I respect them, they are not playing blocks well. That’s where it starts. It’s one of those things where eventually you look up and say, ‘Who’s running the fucking defense?’ It’s the head coach. Defense has to be better.”
It’s fair to give LeBeau a lot of credit for the Steelers’ defensive success. Players certainly do. His zone-blitz scheme was instrumental to their success, and without LeBeau, the Steelers wouldn’t have been the same.
However, there were other factors involved in the Steelers’ defense taking a few steps back after LeBeau left. Several great players who also contributed to their success began to retire or leave the Steelers around that same time. That includes Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, LaMarr Woodley, and Larry Foote.
So not only did the Steelers lose their legendary defensive coordinator, but they also had to rebuild most of their defense. It didn’t take them too long to get back to their standard, too. In 2017, they were a top-five defense, and they stuck around that level for the next several years.
Also, even LeBeau’s defense was starting to fall off during his last few years with the Steelers. They were more middle of the pack over his final two years in Pittsburgh. That just shows that it was a combination of things that causedi the Steelers’ defense to drop.
However, Long is correct that the Steelers’ defense has fallen off in recent years, especially this season. Tomlin deserves some of the blame for that. While he isn’t the coordinator, his fingerprints are all over the defense. And scheme has been a big reason for the Steelers’ defensive struggles.
The Steelers have a lot of talent defensively, so if they clean some things up, that unit could be among the league’s best. They’ve got time to figure things out. The season is far from over.
