Photo: Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire

The Steelers are sitting at a surprise 4-1 and leading the AFC North after the first 6 weeks of the season. This is even more of a surprise when considering the subpar performance on defense the first two weeks, allowing 32 points on 394 yards to the Jets and 31 points (24 on offense) on 395 yards to the Seahawks.

At a cool $163.1 million, the Steelers defense is the highest paid in the league by $23 million. At that price tag, relinquishing 30 points in back-to-back games to start the season is unacceptable.

Since then, this unit has been able to rebound and only allowed 14, 21, and 9 points over the last 3 games. After struggling in both the run and pass phases the first two weeks, it has been able to settle in just in time for a stretch in which the team will see a string of potent offenses (leaving a Joe Flacco-led Bengals offense to your imagination).

How exactly has the defense improved? Will it be sustainable against better competition? Is the Steel Curtain back? Only one of these is a definitive no, but let’s dive into the former two.

Looking at things from a personnel perspective, the Steelers defense has primarily utilized three groupings. However, the allowed success rates vary drastically.

Obviously, the 3-3-5 has yielded the worst results. This the result of the pass defense, which has allowed a 58% success rate in this grouping, the 4th worst in the league. This result is in stark contrast when compared to the 2-4-5 in which the Steelers defense allows a 33% success rate against the pass, which is good for 5th in the league.

When looking at men in the box, the Steelers may want to consider simplifying things a bit.

The Steelers have the most success in the league when operating out of a 7-man box. They are the worst and 7th-worst when operating out of a light and stacked box, respectively. This is not lopsided either in regards to the run or the pass, as they are 1st and 5th out of a 7-man box and 2nd- and 4th-worst with a light box in success rate allowed against the run and pass, respectively. Essentially, adding in the extra defensive back has not yielded the dividends that they hoped to get thus far.

Last season, the Steelers blitzed at a 25% clip, the 15th-highest rate in the league. So far in 2025, they are at a 35% rate which is the 3rd-highest in the league. Not only are they blitzing more, but they are also playing man coverage 39% of the time, the 7th-highest rate.

Yes, Blitzburgh might be back, but this isn’t the zone blitz that legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau utilized time and time again with the great defenses of the early 2000s. Adding veteran corners Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay to the fold has allowed the defense to bring the heat and put those guys on islands against guys like Justin Jefferson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And Joey Porter Jr. has recently come back from injury and will play into the mix going forward.  

Overall, the Steelers are pressuring the quarterback at a 39% rate, the 10th-highest in the league. When bringing the blitz, they are getting pressure 55% of the time, good for 6th. When bringing the standard 4-man pass rush, that number drops to 30%, only the 22nd-best.

So far, T.J. Watt has been solid, but has not produced to his standard Defensive Player of the  Year type numbers. He ranks 18th in pressures with 21 and his 3.5 sacks are tied for 23rd. He has a pressure rate +/- of -2%, meaning that he should be applying pressure more than he is given factors like his alignment, game situation, etc. 

Watt has struggled with his bull rush move this year. He has used it the most out of his repertoire, but has yet to log a pressure when utilizing it. The speed and speed-to-power rushes are where he has made his hay thus far, logging a total of 10 pressures and 2.5 sacks.

The pass rusher who has made the most noise this year is Nick Herbig, whose role increased after Alex Highsmith was injured in Week 2. Herbig is 6th in Pass Rush Total Points and is tied for 8th in sacks with 4.5. 

Herbig’s speed rush is his go-to as he has given it a go on 30 pass snaps and has generated 5 pressures and a sack. After this, he has a pretty robust repertoire where he has attempted 6 other moves at least 10 times this year. The inside cross, cross chop, and rip moves have all generated at least 3 pressures for him this season and an additional 2 sacks. He’s trying the rip much more often, though, so his success rate has not been as good with that move.

The defensive line is what has been the main issue early on for this unit. With Cam Heyward sitting out the majority of camp and rotating in some young guys like Derrick Harmon (who missed the first two games), Yahya Black, and Logan Lee, the Steelers needed guys like Keeanu Benton and Isaiahh Loudermilk to step up.

Early on, they did not do that, as both of them had negative Total Points Above Average in Run Defense, the lowest values on the team through the first two weeks. Benton was also a negative in pass rush. Both of these guys were getting blown off the ball and unable to disrupt any runs that came their way. The struggling interior was the main culprit of the vulnerabilities in the run game.

Derrick Harmon has now made his debut and has contributed 3 tackles for loss. Benton has also improved slightly in the run game, but he has made his presence felt on the pass rush, accounting for 1.5 sacks in the last 3 games.

Overall, this defense has begun to show flashes of the top unit it intends (and is paid) to be. The growth of Harmon and Black will help fortify the trenches for the likes of Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson to roam free. The returns of Alex Highsmith and Joey Porter Jr. will bolster a pass defense that is looking to attack the quarterback while playing man on the back end. There are plenty of tests to come, the question is: Will this unit be able to cash in?