As Steelers Offense Piles Up Accolades, Defense Makes Them Truly Dangerous

Before we sort through the smoldering rubble the Pittsburgh Steelers left at NRG Stadium when they dismantled the Houston Texans 34-6, let's jump back in time a little.

That's the only way to truly appreciate the fact that, yes, a win over a stumbling, inferior opponent is actually pretty significant. And so is the way that win came over the Texans: through hovering, buzzing and turnover-creating defense.

When you think of Pittsburgh Steelers football in 2017, you think about an offense with its octane boosters constantly engaged while led by wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell, who could both get MVP votes.

You also think of a team that won its division for the second straight year, and sixth time in the Mike Tomlin era. But then a more troubling and confusing thought enters, because you think of a team that's played down to the level of its competition far too often.

Which is why some quick time traveling is necessary as we revisit the ghosts of past poor performances.

The Steelers have lost just three games in 2017, and inexplicably, one of those thuds was against the 5-10 Chicago Bears (a 23-17 overtime loss in Week 3). And although all of their 12 victories count the same in the win column, a worrying handful came in nail-biting fashion against poor teams.

They beat the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and a Green Bay Packers team without quarterback Aaron Rodgers by a combined 12 points. Those four teams currently have a combined record of 16-44.

Sputtering so often against the league's basement-dwelling teams opens the door to potential playoff doom and a one-and-done exit. All it takes is one afternoon when a powerhouse isn't clicking quite right, and the Steelers have already had five of those days in 2017.

But they may have slammed that door shut with a defense-led win on the road and under the bright Christmas Day spotlight.

Michael Wyke/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press

There wasn't a second when the Texans had a chance Monday night, which meant the football stars were aligned correctly. A team forced to start T.J. Yates at quarterback in Week 16 shouldn't be able to put up much of a fight against a defense that came into the night averaging only 19.9 points allowed per game.

But of course, we could have said the same after the Steelers lost when the Bears had Mike Glennon under center, or nearly dropped a game against the Browns and DeShone Kizer. This time, however, an overwhelming defense made Yates look like what he is: a journeyman backup quarterback.

The pummeling started right away, and the Pittsburgh defense produced a highlight reel to show what an NFL quarterback definitely doesn't look like. The Steelers outpaced the Texans dramatically in offensive yardage 128-19 in the first quarter, and they did it while Yates was held to minus-seven passing yards.

Yes, that's right: The Texans' passing offense was firmly in the red after a full quarter, and as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted, it didn't get much better as the second one was drawing to a close:

The shutout the Steelers took into the locker room was made possible by cornerback Artie Burns' end-zone interception. That gave a Steelers defense tied for 21st in turnovers heading into Week 16 what it sorely needed: a clutch, momentum-erasing play to rip points away from the opposition.

The unit did more than just make sure Yates faced a tornado of pass-rushing pain when he tried to generate any downfield push at all. The Steelers defense also created points.

Defensive end Cameron Heyward strip-sacked Yates with just under three minutes remaining in the second quarter. Outside linebacker Bud Dupree recovered, and a few plays later, Chris Boswell booted a 36-yard kick through the uprights.

That sequence gave the Steelers a 20-0 lead. Unofficially, the game was already over.

Heyward finished the night with two sacks, three tackles and a forced fumble. Which was great, but also only a tiny dent compared to the Steelers' overall defensive destruction.

The league's fourth-ranked defense in average yards allowed per game entering Monday (307.8) finished with seven sacks, limiting Yates to a drain-circling seven completions and 5.2 yards per attempt.

The Texans offense was also held to only three successful third-down conversions on 12 tries (a 25 percent conversion rate), and 227 yards overall. It was the kind of defensive throttling we saw often during the Steelers' eight-game winning streak, a stretch when they allowed 20 or fewer points six times.

Now that defensive strength has sealed a first-round bye, a much-needed extra week of rest that will ensure Brown is healthy for the divisional round. On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Brown likely wouldn't have recovered from his partially torn calf muscle in time for Wild Card Weekend.

When he returns, the Steelers will have the three pillars of their fire-breathing offense healthy again. The key to winning in the playoffs, however, is the defensive muscle they have in abundance.

The Steelers reminded us of that Monday and are capable of a repeat performance if needed in the hostile conditions and worse weather of January (see: Gillette Stadium).