Pittsburgh Steelers Defense Could Be Spread Thin by Seahawks Offense

Though the Seattle Seahawks are currently 5-5 on the season and not as formidable a foe as they were in the previous two seasons, in which they went to the Super Bowl and won once, the Pittsburgh Steelers cannot overlook the challenge facing them on Sunday, particularly when it comes to Seattle's offense.

The Seahawks' offense is deceptive. Unsurprisingly, it's the league's best at running the ball, with 1,486 total yards so far this year. And even though Marshawn Lynch won't be playing this week, the run game won't be less of a threat with Thomas Rawls running the ball. On his 101 carries this year, he's totaled 604 yards and two touchdowns.

The passing game is not one of the most productive, ranking 26th in yards and 25th in touchdowns. But when confronted with a Pittsburgh defense that is giving up the 28th-most passing yards and is tied for 14th with five other teams in passing touchdowns allowed, Seattle could find itself marching down the field with ease using its air attack.

Doug Baldwin is the Seahawks' current leading receiver, with 44 catches for 539 yards and three touchdowns. But tight end Jimmy Graham is not far behind, with 44 catches of his own for 530 yards and two scores.

Stat	Value	Rank
Pass Yards	2,190	26th
Pass TDs	13	25th
Rush Yards	1,486	1st
Rush TDs	6	17th
Red Zone/Game	2.3	30th
Red Zone TD%	39.13%	31st

While Graham has been out of his element somewhat this year, being tasked with blocking and not just receiving, he could be a bigger part of Seattle's plans on Sunday, given that the Steelers have allowed the 11th-most yards to tight ends this year—596 on 58 catches. The better the tight end, the more Pittsburgh's defense struggles. And while Graham isn't having the best year of his career, Sunday's contest provides an opening for him and for Seattle's offense.

And even if Pittsburgh's defense has the perfect plan for stopping Graham, it also ranks 22nd in yards allowed to teams' No. 1 receivers and 20th in yards to third and fourth receivers, according to Football Outsiders. That could mean not just a strong performance from Baldwin, but also multiple opportunities for Jermaine Kearse (25 catches, 382 yards, one touchdown) and the speedy Tyler Lockett (25 catches, 308 yards, three scores) to punish Pittsburgh's defense.

The good news for the Steelers is that the Seahawks are one of the least-efficient red-zone scoring offenses, something that has contributed to their .500 record despite their strong run game and defense. Seattle is currently reaching the red zone a 30th-ranked 2.3 times per game. When they do get there, they are scoring touchdowns a mere 39.13 percent of the time.

Gene Puskar/Associated Press

This plays into the Steelers' defensive hands perfectly. Pittsburgh's defense ranks just 23rd in opponent red-zone appearances per game, at 3.3, but it's giving up touchdowns a 12th-ranked 51.52 percent of the time. Bend-but-don't-break has served Pittsburgh's defense well thus far. But there is a caveat—that red-zone scoring percentage jumps to 66.67 percent when playing on the road, ranking them 27th. Their opponents' scoring attempts do decrease, though, to 3.0 per game on average.

But because the Steelers do allow far more points when playing on the road and because the Seahawks do have many players who can move the chains, the Pittsburgh defense could find itself spread thin on Sunday.

It also doesn't help that inside linebacker Ryan Shazier did not practice on Thursday. Though he's committed to playing, if he's inactive, it would hurt the Steelers' attempts to stop the run. In coverage, Shazier has struggled. But he's still a key starter whose absence would give Seattle an edge when its offense is on the field.

And Rawls isn't the only running threat the Steelers will have to deal with. They also have to find an answer to the mobility of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. Though Wilson hasn't scored a rushing touchdown this year, he does have 73 runs totaling 385 yards this season. Athletic members of the front seven, like Shazier, will need to be on the field for the Steelers to counter Seattle's multiple offense and to attempt to keep Wilson in the pocket.

Further, Pittsburgh could be preparing for a run-heavy Seahawks approach but could instead see a pass-heavy one instead. If that is the case, and Pittsburgh's defense does not adjust accordingly, the Steelers could find themselves in short-handed coverage situations should they have someone committed to spying on and containing Wilson on a regular basis. That opens up holes in coverage that Wilson can exploit as a passer.

Think of it similarly to the Steelers' defeat of the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. Though Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel's ability to scramble was kept in check to the tune of three runs for 17 yards, that opened up passing opportunities for him. He completed 33 passes for 372 yards as a result.

Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

Granted, Cleveland scored only nine points and has similar weaknesses in the red zone as Seattle has had at times this year. But this is an altogether better-run, better-managed and better-quarterbacked team. Thus, Pittsburgh could have its hands full in ways that it didn't two weeks ago.

While Seattle's offense hasn't been lighting scoreboards on fire, it still ranks in the top 10 in yards and is capable of making plays both in the passing and running games with a variety of players. The Steelers will have a lot to defend on Sunday, and they must make sure their resources are allocated in such a way that the Seahawks lack opportunities or, at the very least, cannot capitalize upon those they are given.

Pittsburgh's defense has been good this year, to be sure, and has even exceeded expectations. But that does not mean the Seahawks' offense won't prove to be a test for the defense on Sunday. They must respect Wilson as both a runner and a passer, be wary of the damage Rawls can do on the ground and keep eyes on more than just Baldwin and Graham.

How well this defense is at multitasking will do much to determine whether the Steelers can escape Seattle with a victory.