Breaking down the Steelers defense

Don’t look now, but the Cowboys offense seems to be getting into a bit of a rhythm. After scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter against the Ravens, the offense took another step forward against the Giants, most notably with Dak Prescott posting a sky high completion rate and the running backs finally showing some signs of life. But they’ll face a tough defense this week in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers have been known for their defense for several decades now, the Steel Curtain enduring as one of the most well-known nicknames in football. Head coach Mike Tomlin is a defensive minded coach himself, and he’s had a steady hand in keeping the defense elite ever since legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau stepped down following the 2014 season. LeBeau’s replacement, Keith Butler, also retired after the 2021 season, leading to the promotion of current coordinator Teryl Austin.

Austin is a seasoned coaching veteran and Pittsburgh native. He attended the University of Pittsburgh as a defensive back and began his coaching career at Penn State. His first full-time coaching job came as the defensive backs coach at Wake Forest under then head coach Jim Caldwell. Nearly two decades later, after Austin had enjoyed several stints in the NFL, he reunited with Caldwell in Baltimore; Austin was coaching defensive backs while Caldwell ran the Ravens offense.

Caldwell parlayed his success in Baltimore into his second NFL head coaching job, taking over the Lions. In turn, he tabbed Austin as his defensive coordinator. Austin very quickly became a hot head coach candidate, as his defenses shined with star players like Ndamukong Suh, Ezekiel Ansah, and Darius Slay. Austin never landed a job, though, and he was on his way out when Caldwell was fired after the 2017 season. Austin then went to the Bengals, replacing current Cowboys run game coordinator Paul Guenther, though he would be fired nine games into what became Marvin Lewis’ final season as the head coach.

Austin then joined the Steelers as a senior defensive assistant, working alongside Tomlin and Butler before being elevated to the top role. Austin’s ascendance did not bring with it a litany of changes, but rather he was promoted because of the continuity he offered. Like Tomlin, Austin hails from a similar school of defensive football that prioritizes fundamentals over scheme.

As such, the Steelers are not a very blitz heavy team. In fact, only six defenses are blitzing at a lower rate than Pittsburgh so far this season. Tomlin and Austin prefer their pass rush get home with just four, instead dropping the remaining seven defenders back into coverage to clog passing lanes. The Steelers tend to use a lot of two-deep safety shells, though Austin has proven adept throughout his career at disguising coverages prior to the snap. They primarily use zone coverage, though Austin has shown a good sense of when to switch things up.

There’s not much that’s been groundbreaking about Austin’s tenure as defensive coordinator, though he’s succeeded in keeping the Steelers right near the top of defensive production. They’ve ranked in the top 12 of the league in defensive DVOA both years he’s been in charge, and Pittsburgh is currently seventh.

Of course, it helps that the Steelers have a handful of superstars on that side of the ball, highlighted by T.J. Watt. The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year makes things much easier for Austin, especially with how much attention opposing offenses have to show him. That’s allowed for the Steelers’ rotation of edge rushers opposite Watt - Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith - to get some easy wins in the pass rush. Veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward has also remained reliable, leading the team in both sacks and pressures.

While the pass rush has been solid as ever this year - Pittsburgh is seventh in both pressure and sack rate - their run defense has stolen the show. Only the Ravens and Vikings are giving up fewer rushing yards per game, and they have the ninth-highest rate of stuffed run plays. Pittsburgh largely accomplishes this by loading up the box, doing so at the fourth-highest rate in the league.

That can be a risky proposition against high-powered passing attacks, but the quarterbacks this defense has faced thus far are Kirk Cousins (in his first game back from an Achilles tear), Bo Nix, Justin Herbert (playing with a high ankle sprain), and the combination of Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco this past week. So that’s three quarterbacks not at full health and a rookie making just his second career start.

It would be safe to say that Dak Prescott is the best quarterback this defense has faced in 2024, and even safer to say CeeDee Lamb is the most dangerous skill player they’ve faced. That could make Austin rethink his plans of loading the box to stop the run, especially considering Dallas leads the league in pass play rate.

Another thing to consider: Prescott has thrown more passes into tight windows than any other quarterback, with 27.5% of his attempts going into a tight window. Only one Steelers defensive back has forced a tight window throw at or above that rate. In layman’s terms, the Steelers are giving up some fairly easy receptions, though they do a good job of wrapping up shortly after the catch. Prescott has been completing passes even with nothing open, and his offense ranks seventh in yards after the catch.

This won’t be an easy game for the Cowboys by any stretch. Watt facing off against Tyler Guyton is far from ideal, for starters, and this defense is extremely disciplined and assignment-sound. However, there are some holes that can be exploited by Prescott and Lamb, provided they have the time to find those holes. That’s easier said than done, but there is a roadmap to success against this unit. Whether or not they can follow that roadmap will speak to the overall focus and preparation of this roster and coaching staff.