If Steelers go on road in playoffs, defense may have to carry them
PITTSBURGH – It was almost as if someone on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense with a sense of history dug into the coaching staff’s vault of old game tapes, cued up a reel from 1976 and began taking voluminous notes. This Steelers’ defense lacks the portfolio of that Greene-Lambert-Ham-Blount defense and no doubt won’t produce as many Hall of Famers, Super Bowl rings, Coke commercials or household names.
Regardless, this might be the best sustained stretch of dominating defense at a critical stage of the season by any Pittsburgh team since the ’76 team Steelers had five shutouts during a season-ending nine-game winning streak.
In the last three games, the Steelers held:
– Houston to 47 yards, the fewest by a winning team in NFL history. The Texans were limited to three first downs, only one after their opening possession, and 10 yards passing.
– Carolina to zero yards in the first half. The Panthers managed 131 yards of mostly meaningless second-half yardage in Pittsburgh’s 30-14 victory. Combined with the Houston game, the Steelers gave up only 47 yards in a span of six quarters, or 11/2 games.
– Tampa Bay scoreless until the last minute of a long-since-decided 17-7 Pittsburgh victory Monday night in which the Steelers, not Tampa Bay, looked more like the NFL’s No. 1 defense.
“They have the No. 1-ranked defense, but I think we showed what the No. 1 defense in the NFL is,” Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said.
The Steelers – No. 1 in the league a year ago – dropped from No. 3 overall in the NFL to No. 6 by allowing 277 yards to Tampa Bay, but nearly all that yardage came after Pittsburgh quickly opened a 17-0 lead.
Steelers coach Bill Cowher has several theories why a defense that spent much of this season in the bottom half of the league rankings suddenly is dominating again.
“We’re becoming comfortable with the things we’re doing,” Cowher said. “We’re playing with a lot of confidence and we’re playing very fast – there’s not a lot of thinking going on, and that’s allowing players to go out and play with speed.
“We’re trying to stay unpredictable and create some hesitation.”
Earlier, it seemed the Steelers were confusing themselves more than their opponents. No doubt aware teams would spend time in the offseason adjusting to what they did last season, the Steelers tinkered with their blitzing and coverage schemes.
As a result, linebacker Jason Gildon didn’t rush as much as before, a change that also caused adjustments for 2001 rookie star Kendrell Bell once he returned from an ankle injury a month into the season. Defensive end Aaron Smith also wasn’t the disruptive presence he was before.
About a month ago, defensive coordinator Tim Lewis made some adjustments – some simple, some more complicated – that allowed Gildon and Bell more freedom to pass rush. Since then, they have combined for 81/2 sacks in four games, 41/2 by Gildon, even though neither had a sack Monday.
Suddenly, it looks nothing like the defense that was lit by the Patriots and Raiders for 807 yards to start the season. Or the defense that, for much of the season, was the league’s worst in stopping teams on third down.
“We didn’t overly question ourselves or overanalyze, and that’s the biggest thing to be careful about in a 16-game schedule – to not be too critical,” Cowher said. “If we don’t beat ourselves, we give ourselves a chance no matter who we play.”
It also might prove important depending where they play. If the Titans (10-5) and Raiders (10-5) win this weekend, the Steelers (9-5-1) may have to go on the road for every playoff game past the wild-card round. That’s where winning Monday night in Tampa, against a team with a chance to hold home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, could prove helpful later.
“That was an intense atmosphere, one that matched any playoff game I’ve seen with any team since I’ve been here,” Cowher said. “I’m sure at some point, if we go on the road, we can draw from that.”