The Steelers have a young, hard-hitting defense, able to get after the quarterback and stop the run. Pittsburgh’s 27 sacks in the final eight games of the regular season were tied for the most in the NFL over that period. The Steelers also held their opponents to under 100 yards rushing in almost all their wins. They have allowed 18.7 points per game over their past nine games and finished the regular season 12th in the NFL in total defense.
When the Steelers missed the playoffs in 2012 and 2013 one of the problems pinpointed by scouting and coaching staffs was a lack of speed on defense. The Steelers were a defense in transition as older and slower players were being phased out and new, young playmakers were being sought. This season, eight of their starters have three years of NFL experience or less. Several of their recent draft picks have developed into impact players (Ryan Shazier, Bud Dupree, Stephon Tuitt) while rookies Artie Burns, Sean Davis, and Javon Hargrave, have all locked down starting roles.
Their defense is also notable for its speed, athleticism and ball skills. Linebackers Bud Dupree and Ryan Shazier, defensive end Stephon Tuitt, cornerback Artie Burns and safety Mike Mitchell are among the fastest players in the league at their respective positions. Dupree ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds at the 2015 NFL combine, the fastest time for an outside linebacker. He also posted the best vertical leap and best broad jump for his position group. Tuitt is among the fastest defensive ends in the league and pursues plays from the backside and downfield as well as any defensive lineman. Shazier is the fastest inside linebacker in the league. He didn’t run the 40 at the combine because of an injury, but he ran an unofficial 4.36 at his Ohio State pro day. Burns and Davis each ran 4.46 at the combine last year.