How Pittsburgh Steelers Offense, Defense Compare to Rest of AFC North
Known for its physical brand of football, the AFC North was the best division in the NFL last season. Battling through the final week of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens all earned a playoff berth.
The Pittsburgh Steelers edged out the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens for the 2014 division crown and will look for an encore this season. However, that will be a tough feat to repeat, as the rest of the division—Cleveland Browns included—made significant strides to improve during the offseason.
No matter what the rest of the division did, the Steelers followed their philosophy of building through the draft and have a solid core of young players ready to lead the team in 2015.
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Constructed by general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are expected to have one of the top offenses this season. By contrast, the defense is in a rebuilding process but is ripe for a breakout season.
Will these units be good enough to help the Steelers repeat as AFC North champions? Here is a look at how Pittsburgh’s offense and defense stack up against the rest of the division.
Offensive Breakdown
Under offensive coordinator Todd Haley, not only do the Steelers have the best offense in the AFC North, but they arguably have the best offense in the entire NFL.
The growth and development of Pittsburgh’s offense took several seasons, but Haley had this unit clicking on all cylinders last season as it took a meteoric rise up the statistical leaderboard. This improvement has not gone unnoticed, as NFL Media analysis Bucky Brooks ranked the Steelers’ offensive coordinator third in the league:
"The evolution of the Steelers' offense under Haley has coincided with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's ascension to the ranks of the elite. The crusty coach challenged his star signal-caller to become a more efficient player from the pocket while crafting a scheme that showcased an electric receiving corps brimming with young talent. Haley has earned his reputation for developing pass-catchers (Haley has helped Antonio Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Dwayne Bowe and Keyshawn Johnson all earn Pro Bowl honors). The bottom line is, Pittsburgh's offense is more dynamic and explosive than the previous versions trotted out in the Steel City.
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Brooks ranked the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, Hue Jackson, at No. 4, but cites their quarterback play as an issue. Based on last season’s rankings, this makes sense, as Cincinnati ranked in the bottom third in passing offense and in the middle of the pack in overall offense.
| Steelers | Ravens | Bengals | Browns | |
| Passing Yards per Game (rank) | 301.6 (2) | 238.7 (13) | 213.8 (21) | 216.6 (20) |
| Rushing Yards per Game (rank) | 109.5 (16) | 126.2 (8) | 134.2 (6) | 108.8 (17) |
| Total Yards per Game (rank) | 411.1 (2) | 364.9 (12) | 348.0 (15) | 324.6 (23) |
| Points per Game (rank) | 27.3 (7) | 25.6 (8) | 22.8 (15) | 18.7 (27) |
Quarterback play is paramount for success in this league, and no team has a better quarterback than the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger has developed into one of the most efficient signal-callers in the NFL yet is still capable of making the big play.
He ranked third in the league with 8.15 yards per attempt. Former Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer was the only other member of the AFC North to rank in the top 16. Likewise, Roethlisberger was easily the top quarterback in terms of passer rating, as Joe Flacco (No. 16) was the next-closest competitor.
| Steelers | Ravens | Bengals | Browns | |
| Passing Yards | Ben Roethlisberger (4,952) | Joe Flacco (3,986) | Andy Dalton (3,398) | Brian Hoyer (3,326) |
| Rushing Yards | Le’Veon Bell (1,361) | Justin Forsett (1,266) | Jeremy Hill (1,124) | Terrance West (673) |
| Receiving Yards | Antonio Brown (1,698) | Steve Smith Sr. (1,065) | A.J. Green (1,041) | Andrew Hawkins (824) |
The Steelers have a similar advantage at the other skill positions as well, where Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown dominate the division at running back and wide receiver, respectively.
Baltimore had a nice breakout season from Justin Forsett, and Cincinnati ran with a solid one-two punch with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard while Cleveland took a running back-by-committee approach. But none could match the production of Bell.
Bell developed into a top all-purpose back last season, leading the AFC with 1,361 yards and finishing in a tie for 19th with 83 receptions. His production made him a legitimate league MVP candidate, but he had to settle for Steelers MVP and the Pro Football Writers of America 2014 Most Improved Player.
Antonio Brown is another legitimate MVP candidate, as he earned himself a place among the NFL’s elite wide receivers. He led the league with 129 receptions and 1,698 yards and tied for second with 13 interceptions.
When it comes to pure athletic talent, only the Bengals’ A.J. Green can match Brown’s abilities, but he doesn’t have a high-level quarterback throwing him the football. Baltimore’s best threat—Torrey Smith—left via free agency, and Cleveland’s—Josh Gordon—is suspended for the season.
Outside of Brown, the Steelers are very deep with talent in the passing game.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com believes that the Steelers “might have two: A No. 2 and a No. 2A” on their roster with Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton. Add in the dependable Heath Miller, rookie Sammie Coates and veteran running back DeAngelo Williams, and it is easy to understand why few teams can match Pittsburgh’s firepower.
Pittsburgh's offensive talent is one of the reasons Chris Simms of Bleacher Report believes that the Steelers will have the top offense in the NFL in 2015.
Simms is not the only analyst who believes the Steelers have one of the best offenses in the league. Cian Fahey of Bleacher Report ranked Roethlisberger’s supporting cast as second best in the league—ranked only behind Dalton’s cast. He ranked both the Browns (No. 8) and the Ravens (No. 10) in the top 10 as well.
A major part of the high rankings is the quality of each team’s offensive line. Pro Football Focus ranked each in the top 10 (Steelers, No. 8; Bengals, No. 7; Browns, No. 6; Ravens, No. 3). Here is what Khaled Elsayd had to say about the Steelers:
"It’s taken some years but the Steelers have transformed from one of the worst lines in the league to one of the best. Young talent has come through and delivered, with Beachum, Marcus Gilbert and David DeCastro all grading positively. Special mention for Maurkice Pouncey who is finally playing up to a level close to the hype he has received his entire career.
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With the offensive line coming back intact and in its second season under Mike Munchak along with the rest of the starting lineup, the Steelers are in a perfect position to take a step forward on offense and continue to be the best unit in the AFC North.
Defensive Breakdown
The stats do not always tell the entire story, but they tell a significant part of it for the Steelers defense.
Strictly looking at the numbers, the Steelers had the worst passing defense in the division, allowing 253.1 yards per game. They also had the worst scoring defense, allowing 23.0 points per game, over four points per game worse than the Ravens—the top team in the division.
| Steelers | Ravens | Bengals | Browns | |
| Passing Yards per Game (rank) | 253.1 (27) | 248.7 (23) | 243.0 (20) | 224.5 (8) |
| Rushing Yards per Game (rank) | 100.3 (8) | 88.3 (4) | 116.3 (20) | 141.6 (32) |
| Total Yards per Game (rank) | 353.4 (18) | 336.9 (8) | 359.3 (22) | 366.1 (23) |
| Points Allowed per Game (rank) | 23.0 (18) | 18.9 (6) | 21.5 (12) | 21.1 (9) |
Not all was bad according to the stats, though, as the Steelers had the No. 2 run defense in the division. However, this rank is a mirage, as opponents had no problems running the ball at a healthy 4.4 yards per carry—second worst to only the Browns (4.9 yards per carry).
Baltimore’s defense allowed just 3.6 yards per carry, which used to be the standard for Pittsburgh. That is somewhere defensive coordinator Keith Butler wants to get back to in 2015. At least that is the message he is relaying to his defenders.
As Cam Heyward explained to Ralph Paulk and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, stopping the run will do more than make a team one-dimensional:
“If you look at explosive, big plays, they came mostly on the run,” Heyward said. “When we stopped the ground game, we were much more successful against the pass. It's a proven fact that when we've had the best defense, we've stopped the run. If we stop the run early enough, that play action goes out the window. When we make them one-dimensional, we can light our hair on fire and get after the quarterback.”
Heyward added that putting opponents in long-yardage situations on second and third downs could only be achieved by stopping the run:
“When we win the first two downs, we put them at a disadvantage. We've been stressing that and correcting the run defense, meaning guys are using their hands and getting off blocks,” he said.
The 86 big plays allowed—rushing plays over 10 yards and passing plays over 25 yards, according to Sporting Charts—last season were the worst in the division—one behind the Browns and 24 behind the Ravens. If controlling the ground game is the key to preventing these plays, we must first examine the defensive line.
Manned by Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Steve McLendon, the Steelers' front three could eventually develop into one of the better units in the division. Add in the presence of Daniel McCullers as a rotational nose tackle, and the run defense has the potential to improve.
Even without Haloti Ngata, the Ravens have the gold standard at defensive line in the division. They are physical in trenches and are effective against the run and pass.
When healthy, the Bengals are strong up front with Domata Peko and Geno Atkins in the middle as well as Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson applying a pass rush from the outside. The Browns are trying to build their front line from the inside out with first-round pick Danny Shelton.
Unlike the past, Butler wants to use his defensive line for more than stopping the run and occupying blockers. He recognizes that his guys have the ability to apply push and is set to use them to rush the quarterback:
“We have a lot of [high] draft choices in that front seven,” Butler told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We have to use those draft choices in those front seven, not only the linebackers but [ends Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt]. Those guys are talented guys. We have to use them too.”
| Player | Position |
| Brett Keisel | DE |
| Troy Polamalu | SS |
| Ike Taylor | CB |
| Jason Worilds | OLB |
The additional pass rush will help a defense that generated only 33 sacks last season and lost its most productive edge-rusher—Jason Worilds—to retirement.
Now the Steelers must rely on a young linebacker corps to carry the defense this season. With potentially four former first-round picks on the field at once, this should eventually develop into a strength for the team.
Before we crown them as one of the better units in the league, the linebackers must prove themselves. Of course, Lawrence Timmons, age 29, is an established player on the inside, and James Harrison is still productive as he approaches 40. But the younger players need to step up.
That means that the Steelers need Jarvis Jones and Bud Dupree to develop into disruptive pass-rushers from the outside while Ryan Shazier becomes a force on the inside.
Until these players develop, the Ravens easily have the best set of linebackers in the division led by Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil on the outside. Then there is C.J. Mosley, one of the top defensive rookies last season—and the player the Steelers passed on in favor of Shazier.
While keeping the overall scheme in place, Butler will make the necessary adjustments so that his linebackers can eventually have the same type of production the Ravens get from theirs.
Where the Steelers are at a significant disadvantage to the rest of the division is in the secondary. Each team in the AFC North—outside of Pittsburgh—has at least one solid option at cornerback.
In Baltimore, it is Jimmy Smith. Cincinnati and Cleveland have Leon Hall and Joe Haden, respectively. In Pittsburgh, William Gay?
No knock on Gay—he had a very good season last year, but he doesn’t profile as a true No. 1 cornerback. The Steelers are without the now-retired Ike Taylor and will count on Cortez Allen to step back into the starting role.
They will also count on first-year starter Shamarko Thomas to replace Troy Polamalu and either Antwon Blake, Senquez Golson or Doran Grant to man the nickel spot. Needless to say, there are many questions for the secondary as the Steelers enter 2015.
This is all on top of Butler stepping in as a first-year defensive coordinator. As experienced as he is on the Steelers coaching staff, it will still be a learning curve as he calls Pittsburgh’s defense for the first time.
However, Butler may be exactly what Pittsburgh’s young defense needs, and with a moderate improvement, the Steelers may not finish with the best defense in the division, but one that could help win it.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com, and roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.
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