Cam Heyward said it’s a matter of trust. Joe Haden said it’s a matter of talent. And Mike Tomlin said it’s a matter of necessity.
Or perhaps, like everyone else in this Duck-mad town, it’s merely a matter of being inspired by their new quarterback.
The Steelers defense is making a slow climb to join the other elite units in the league after doing to Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns what it has been doing to a lot of opposing offenses in the NFL. But in the past 10 games, no defense in the league — not the New England Patriots, not the San Francisco 49ers — has performed in such dynamic fashion as the Steelers.
Since Week 3, the Steelers rank first in the league in takeaways (28), first in quarterback hits (78), first in passes defended (65), first in forced fumbles (13), first in fumble recoveries (13), second in interceptions (15), second in sacks (38) and tied for third in defensive TDs (three).
They have held six of their past nine opponents to 17 or fewer points and have allowed an average of 14 points in their last four games.
With so many injuries on offense and playing without four Pro Bowl players, it has been their means of survival as they cling to the second and final wild-card spot in the AFC with six victories in their past seven games. They did it again in their 20-13 victory on Sunday at Heinz Field, shutting down the Browns with five sacks and two significant takeaways after spotting them a 10-0 lead.
“They had to,” Tomlin said. “They were aware that it was going to come down to those moments for us this week and they had to deliver it. So, they went about preparing with that in mind and they were able to do it.”
Falling behind 10-0 with a quarterback making only his second NFL start is not always the best recipe for success. But once Devlin Hodges gained his (web) footing with a 31-yard completion to James Washington, everything began to turn offensively and, especially, defensively.
“We just kept fighting,” said Heyward, who had a half-sack, a tackle for loss, quarterback hit and fumble recovery. “We all understand it’s not going to be perfect. You got to dig yourself out from the hole when you get down 10-0. You got to settle down and just trust the defense.”
The Steelers have moved up to No. 5 in total defense and seventh in pass defense and are one of just two teams to not allow a 100-yard rusher (the New Orleans Saints are the other) through 12 games. The Browns had 91 yards rushing in the first half on Sunday but ran only six more times for 15 yards in the second half once they got behind.
Part of the reason for the Browns success in the first half — they averaged 5.1 yards per carry — is because the Steelers started dropping their linebackers in coverage when Mayfield completed his first two passes for 19 and 21 yards and threw seven times for 56 yards on the opening 12-play scoring drive.
Once the Steelers got ahead, that all changed. Mayfield was sacked four times in the second half and completed just eight of his final 20 passes. After his hot start, he connected on just one of his next 10 attempts. After Cleveland’s first three drives, the Steelers held the Browns to three points, nine first downs, 129 total yards and 3.6 yards per play.
“We started getting opportunities,” said outside linebacker Bud Dupree, who forced a fumble on one of his sacks that led to a Chris Boswell field goal. “Early on, everyone was getting chipped. Once they started dialing up some 1-on-1s, it was fun.”
Shutting down quarterbacks has been nothing new. The Steelers have allowed only one 200-yard passer in the past six games (Jared Goff, 243) and just two in the past nine. They have 15 interceptions, second only to the New England Patriots, which is already more than they’ve had in six of the past eight seasons overall.
“This is one of the best secondaries I have ever been a part of because we have communication, we have guys that are very football smart and are very capable of making plays,” said Haden, whose interception against his former team sealed the victory with 1:06 remaining. “I feel like I am holding my side down, but everybody else is doing their thing in the backend.”
Right now, it’s a matter of necessity.
First Published: December 2, 2019, 10:28 p.m.
