Dec 17, 2002 By Associated Press 4 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Something was missing from Pittsburgh’s defense, and it wasn’t just the Steelers’ aggressive pass rush or their ability to control top passers. Jason Gildon was missing, too.

Gildon, an All-Pro linebacker for the NFL’s top-ranked defense a year ago, was invisible for much of the season as the Steelers struggled to live up to expectations.

Through 12 games, Gildon had only 3½ sacks – down from his 2001 total of 12 – and twice had only two tackles in a game. With Gildon being negated by opposing blocking schemes, a change in his own assignments or a combination of both, the Steelers’ defense tumbled to the bottom third of the league.

Now, after two of the best defensive performances in the NFL this season – not just by a team, but by a player – the defense has jumped to No. 3 overall. Only a couple of weeks ago, it ranked only 18th.

The reason? Several teammates said it’s simple: the Steelers have turned loose Gildon and Kendrell Bell, last year’s NFL defensive rookie of the year.

“They’ve taken the handcuffs off and said, “Go get the quarterback,”‘ said linebacker Joey Porter, whose play carried the defense for much of the season. “They’re letting them do the thing they do best.”

A few weeks ago, Gildon refused to get into specifics, but he said he was being asked to play much differently than last season, when he and Bell combined for 21 sacks.

Because teams were throwing so effectively against Pittsburgh early, Gildon found himself dropping into coverage more than he was pass rushing, eliminating the most effective of the Steelers’ blitz specialists.

Defensive coordinator Tim Lewis said Bell also is settling in after missing most of the first month of the season with a sprained ankle. He also needed time to adjust to new inside linebacker James Farrior, who replaced Earl Holmes after he left for Cleveland.

“We’re just (pass) rushing more with Jason and I,” said Bell, who has four sacks in the last three games. “I think we play a lot better when we’re rushing the quarterback and going downhill.”

The Steelers (8-5-1) will get a better idea Monday of how far their defense has come when they face Tampa Bay (11-3), which has the league’s top-rated defense. The Buccaneers are allowing 249.9 yards a game, followed by Miami (282.6), Pittsburgh (295.4) and Philadelphia (296.2).

After limiting Houston to 47 total yards – the fewest ever by a winning team in the NFL – the Steelers held Carolina without a yard in the first half Sunday. That meant, in a span of six quarters, or 1½ games, opponents gained 47 yards – or about 8 per quarter. Carolina managed 131 yards in the second half of its 30-14 loss.

The Steelers had 10 sacks in the two games – 4½ by Gildon, who seems much more comfortable now that he’s back in an aggressor’s role.

“Jason has gone back to bull rushing,” Lewis said. “He’s overpowering blockers, which is the best way for him to get to the quarterback. Earlier in the season, he was speed rushing, trying to get around blockers, and that’s not his way.”

Of course, the opposition helped: Carolina (No. 31) and Houston (No. 32) have the NFL’s two worst offenses. Defensive end Aaron Smith said the Steelers really haven’t changed that much schematically but, rather, are simply playing to their strengths.

“I don’t see us doing that much differently,” he said. “We’re just in the right place at the right time now. We’re playing with more cohesiveness and we’re starting to understand the defense better. And I can’t say enough about Jason, because he’s making the plays that make the defense go.”