The Pittsburgh Steelers are relying on their defense in 2022 and are spending more money than any other team in the NFL on the defensive side of the ball. Dave Dameshek joined Mark Bergin on the BLEAV in Steelers podcast that he normally hosts with Ike Taylor, but he was absent at a cigar convention in Las Vegas. They were discussing the Steelers playoff hopes for the upcoming seasons and Dameshek posited:
"Can they put together a [Jacksonville] Jags level dominant defense [2018 season]? Given the pieces they have, they would need to catch real good luck in terms of health. But if they do, look at that front seven they are throwing out there and then Minkah [Fitzpatrick] on the back end, ranging around there. You know that pass rush is going to force some loose passes out there."
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 09: T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers sacks Tyler Huntley #2 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Steelers pass rush is sublime at this point. They have led the league in sacks for five consecutive seasons exceeding 50+ sacks in each of those seasons. During the run, only the Minnesota Vikings have exceeded 50 sacks in a season and they did it just once last season finishing with 51 sacks. The scary thing about the Steelers pass rush is that it has not peaked.
T.J. Watt is unlikely to get 22.5 sacks this season, but Alex Highsmith seems primed for his first double digit sack season and a healthy Larry Ogunjobi, who should approximate Stephon Tuitt’s production opposite the other worldly Cam Heyward, could give opposing teams nightmares figuring out how to block four legitimate pass rushers. Watt will command the double teams and it is not farfetched to think the other three Pittsburgh rushers could reach double digits in sacks in 2022 as well.
“Minkah is going to be more of what he was prior to last year,” Dameshek continues. “He was just like, He was put more in the spotlight last year. Hey, running backs are going to be running full speed at you 15 yards past the line of scrimmage. You know you have to make the tackle cause there is no one else to do it. Everyone else is hurt, Minkah.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick is fresh off of a record contract for the safety position in the NFL and his point is well taken. Fitzpatrick is not a big hitting safety; he is an exceptional center fielder and is best when he can read a quarterback’s eyes and play a ball hawking style. He is not a bad tackler or a liability in the run game, but his strength is his ability to disrupt the oppositions passing game and if he is free to play that role, the Steelers are an elite defense.
"He is going to get picks [this season]. I think that defense could really dominate," Dameshek goes on to wonder. "And then the question is, I don’t know what dominance equals in 2022 and how many games can the defense just outright steal for you? They did it with [Devlin] Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph for about 12 or 13 weeks, then they just ran out of gas. But for 12 or 13 weeks, they just straight up stole games. It was like you have Duck Hodges playing quarterback, dude maybe he’s better than [Ben] Roethlisberger at this point. Like if Roethlisberger is so old, maybe Duck is the future. What are you talking about?"
Dameshek, who hosts the Extra Points with Cousin Sal & Dave Dameshek podcast, rightly points out that in 2019, when they made the move for Fitzpatrick and gave up the first round pick, a lot of fans questioned the logic. But in the midst of the run to be competitive, this sentiment was not an outlier opinion amongst Steeler fans. The Steelers defense not only had the team competitive, but had they won the New York Jets game late in the season, it is extremely probable that they would have made the playoffs. Alas, they were saddled with subpar quarterback play as Hodges, now retired, could not top the depth chart of a CFL team. And Rudolph is well, Rudolph.
The Steelers said goodbye to Roethlisberger this offseason, but this is not the 2019 quarterback room. Pittsburgh has Mitch Trubisky and a promising rookie in Kenny Pickett at the top of the depth chart. Trubisky, the former number two pick of the Chicago Bears, will be just 28 years old as he embarks on his NFL second chance and will have his best opportunity for NFL success in his career. Pickett is a fan favorite and is demonstrably better than Rudolph and Hodges were in 2019. The two players also appear to be quite friendly as evidenced by their appearance at the Three Rivers Celebrity Softball Game this past weekend that was partially sponsored by Steeler Nation.
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The 2022 offense will be significantly better than the 2019 offense which should take the pressure off the defense needing to be perfect to win games. The “empty tank” that Dameshek refers to could be quite full if this version of the offense can score at least 21 to 24 points per game consistently. If Trubisky or Pickett emerges as a mid-tier AFC quarterback which is better than you might think, the Steelers could be looking at becoming contenders on the fly. It is worth noting that when Terry Bradshaw was officially retired in 1983, the Steelers with long odds went on a march to the AFC Championship game in 1984. Could history repeat itself?
What do you think, Steeler Nation? How will the defense fare in 2022? Will they be elite? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
