It has become the glamour statistic when it comes to defense in the National Football League, especially for the Pittsburgh Steelers: sacks. These days, teams get more opportunities to get after opposing quarterbacks because the passing game is so prevalent. Combine that with the fact that there are a slew of talented edge rushers in the game right now and you can see the numbers.
In terms of a team, not one does it better these days when it comes to racking up sacks than the Pittsburgh Steelers. And the club is in the midst of an unprecedented streak when it comes to dropping opposing signal-callers.
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher, TJ Watt (#90) participates in 2022 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Dating back to the merger in 1970, there has only been one team to lead the National Football League in sacks two consecutive years. That would be Mike Tomlin’s squad, who have now turned the trick an amazing five straight seasons. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the current streak started when the team used the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft to grab University of Wisconsin standout TJ Watt. That year, the Black and Gold led the NFL with 56 sacks – led by Cameron Heyward (12.0).
Watt finished with seven QB traps that year, but he was just getting warmed up. The Steelers were tied with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 with 52 sacks and Watt had exactly one-fourth (13.0) of the team’s total.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle, Cam Heyward, left (#97), and edge rusher, TJ Watt, right (#90) celebrate during pregame warm-ups at Heinz Field in 2021. | Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
There were 54 in 2019, 56 in 2020 and a year ago during the league’s first 17-game regular season, Tomlin’s team dropped enemy signal-callers 55 times. Watt was not only the NFL leader in this category in ‘19 with 14.5 quarterback traps, he paced the league in 2020 (15.0) and 2021 (22.5). That latter total is tied for the NFL’s single-season recognized individual record which dates back to 1982 and it earned the relentless defender NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. And you will notice that during Watt’s brief but impressive career that his sack number has increased each year.
Of course, Heyward has also been a big factor during the current five-year stretch. He not only has a combined 43.0 sacks over that span, he’s been named to the Pro Bowl during each of those seasons and has earned All-Pro accolades each of the past three years. Currently-retired Stephon Tuitt and now Tennessee Titans outside linebacker, Bud Dupree have also been contributors to the cause.
Now that’s the good news. Unfortunately, all those sacks and all that pressure hasn’t amounted to a lot of success team-wise in the postseason. In fact, the Steelers have made the playoffs in three of those five seasons and have nothing to show for it. Tomlin’s defense has allowed a combined 16 offensive touchdowns in losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars (5), Cleveland Browns (5) and Kansas City Chiefs (6). That includes 10 scores through the air.
During that same stretch, the Steelers have a combined three sacks – all of those in the team’s 42-21 loss a year ago in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium. Watt had quite the outing, finishing with three tackles and one of the club's three sacks. He also knocked down a pass. And his 26-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter gave Pittsburgh a brief 7-0 lead over Andy Reid's team.
Yes, the Steelers know how to chase down opposing quarterbacks. But for too often, they weren’t able to produce this big play in the process. In a two-year span from 2017-18, Tomlin and company managed only 37 takeaways in 32 regular-season contests. That changed with the deal that enabled then-general manager Kevin Colbert to obtain safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins.
In 2019, the Steelers led the entire NFL in forcing turnovers (38). That total dropped to 27 in 2020 and only 22 in 17 games this past season. Fitzpatrick has played in 46 regular season contests for the Steelers and has 15 takeaways in those contests.
So why hasn’t all the pressure that the Pittsburgh defense produces translated into more defensive success? Part of last year’s failures as well as the team’s late-season collapse in 2020 can be attributed to the unit’s failures when it comes to stopping the run. The Steelers defensive unit allowed 41 offensive touchdowns a year ago, 17 on the ground. That’s the most rushing TD's allowed by the team in a season since 2013 (18). And it has been well documented, Pittsburgh ranked dead last in the NFL this past year in rushing defense.
Of course, there have been changes on this side of the ball this off-season. Teryl Austin has replaced Keith Butler as defensive coordinator and former New England Patriots assistant turned former Miami Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores is Pittsburgh’s senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach. Free agency has brought inside linebacker Myles Jack, cornerback Levi Wallace, safety Damontae Kazee and defensive tackle, Larry Ogunjobi. Nose tackle Tyson Alualu returns after missing the vast majority of 2021 as well.
Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker, Myles Jack (#51) participates during 2022 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Yes, all those sacks are pretty terrific. Maybe. But perhaps with some new ideas, that steady pass rush of the Pittsburgh Steelers can earn the team more than just league-leading status.
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