The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the most dominant defenses in the league that played a pivotal role in getting the team to the AFC Championship in 1994, where they fell 17-13 to the then-San Diego Chargers. Team captain Cam Heyward said he thinks Pittsburgh can have a unit that's the best in the NFL in 2023. If the offense can continue to improve on a solid second half in 2022, the comparison between that team in 1994 and the one in 2023 is not too far off.
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Steelers' legendary safety and former defensive backs coach Carnell Lake.
Former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats and his co-host Deke broke down some of what makes these two squads similar during a recent episode of their podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience with Deke. The stats for the 1994 defense are stellar. The team finished in the top five leaguewide for points against, yards, and first downs allowed while allowing the least passing and rushing touchdowns. The unit was led by a formidable group that included 1993 AP Defensive Player of The Year Rod Woodson, Carnell Lake, and linebackers Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene.
Moats said he sees, to some degree, current outside linebackers TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith as a pass-rush duo like Lloyd and Greene. Both posted double-digit sack totals in 1994. With a return to good health for Watt in 2023, it's probably not out of the question for the pair to each top 10 sacks next season.
The Arthur Moats Experience With Deke
Co-hosts Deke (left) and former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats (right) had an interesting discussion about how the 1994 and 2023 teams seem to share a bunch in common.
One of the areas of similarity is perhaps in the way the offense is going to run, through a solid ground game and a passing attack that can get the job done. 1994 Offensive Coordinator Ron Erhardt put a strong emphasis on the ground game with the second most rushing attempts, and it paid off by posting the most rushing yards. Running backs Barry Foster and Bam Morris both topped 800 yards and had 12 combined scores. Fullback John Williams added another 317 yards on top of that.
The current version of the Steelers' rushing attack also figures to feature a couple of different faces. Najee Harris will probably get the bulk of the work in 2023, but the emersion of Jaylen Warren as a strong number two can't be overlooked. Monte Pottebaum is the closest thing to Williams in a traditional fullback role. Even if he does impress in camp enough to make the roster, his role in the offense is probably very limited. Connor Heyward could potentially be that third producer in the run game. The team is eager to experiment with his versatility in 2023. He only had two carries and averaged 13.5 yards in his rookie season, but expect that number to go up in 2023.
2023 Steelers Get The Edge Over 1994 At One Spot
The one area that's a major strength for the current team, but wasn't so much so back in 1994, is the defensive line. Ray Seals posted seven sacks for the team in 1994 which is solid production, but this unit didn't have a Cam Heyward or even a partner as good as Larry Ogunjobi. Deke and Moats agreed that was the one place where the 1994 team doesn't hold up as well.
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Steelers' Cam Heyward during the team's 2022 training camp.
There are a couple of other spots that Deke and Moats said aren't exactly perfect comparisons. While both teams have a former Defensive Player of the Year, the Steelers don't have a cornerback like Woodson in 2023. Though after looking back, the two agreed with the mix of Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace, and rookies Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr., the 2023 group might be deeper despite missing that marquee number one.
At inside linebacker in 1994, the Steelers had a pair of studs in Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown. The team brought in Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts in free agency, but what they can provide to the team still remains a question mark.
The other spot that Moats specifically pointed to as being different is at quarterback. Neil O'Donnell was playing in his fourth year in the league compared to Kenny Pickett going into his second. The former Steelers linebacker said that experience cushion in O'Donnell's favor makes this a tougher comparison.
The 2023 team may have some kind of blueprint in that 1994 team. They will have to establish their own identity, even if the formula and aspects of the rosters look similar.
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