The Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't do anything right. They couldn't play defense. Their offense was inconsistent. They had no discipline, and because of it, they were 4-5. It looked as if Pittsburgh would be lucky to make the playoffs, and even then, accomplishing that would be a testament to how pathetic the AFC North is, not how good the Pittsburgh Steelers are. In short, the Steelers, who were sexy Super Bowl picks before the season started, were a colossal disappointment. Then, the switch flipped.
Just like that, the Steelers have won four in a row, and have looked damn good doing it, allowing just 40 points over that four-game stretch, and scoring 93. Granted, one of those wins was against the Browns, and another one against an Andrew Luck-less Colts team. However, the past two W's over the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills, have been particularly eye-opening, especially from a defensive perspective.
The Steelers offense is supposed to put up a lot of points, so no amount of success that they have is all that shocking. On the contrary, their defense is supposed to allow a lot of points, and much to our delight, Keith Butler's unit has been stingy over the past four weeks. Although I must say that none of the offensive unites that Pittsburgh has encountered over the past month is particulary impressive, we are still seeing a lot of progress from Butler's troops. The Steelers defensive success may come as either a complete shock, or a product of the competition, but honestly, I'm not sure it's either. My theory is: maybe the Steelers defense is actually pretty good?
Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert have received criticism over the years for not drafting quality defensive talent, and that is sighted as a big reason for Pittsburgh's defensive struggles over the past few years. We've seen guys like Ziggy Hood not accomplish much of anything, guys like Ryan Shazier be injured too damn much, and guys like Jarvis Jones take awhile to develop. Well, it looks like it all may be coming together.
Let's look at the Steelers prized defensive draft choices and see what they have been doing through this current hot streak
Jarvis Jones- 1st round, 2013
Jones has been heavily scrutinized for his play over the first two seasons in the Steel City, and rightfully so. But he's been pretty solid in this his third year. The outside linebacker from Georiga has made several big plays, and he looks like he's improving by the week. If Jones continues to get better, than he could help fill the void left at outside linebacker when James Harrison decides to hang up the cleats.
Ryan Shazier- 1st round 2014
Self-explanatory. The Ohio State grad is one of the best in football at his position when healthy, and the Steelers hit a home run when they drafted him two years ago. If Shazier can stay on the field and out of UPMC, the sky is the limit.
Bud Dupree: 1st round, 2015
Dupree missed a lot of time due to injury this season, but he gets the job done when he is on the field. Dupree's performance in Buffalo last Sunday earned him a 74.2 rating according to Pro Football Focus. If he keeps up with those types of performances, then him and Jones will both help give the Steelers linebacking group a stable future.
Stephan Tuitt- Second Round, 2014
Beast. Tuitt has come on in the second half of the season, and he will be a Pro Bowler very soon. When Cam Heyward gets back from injury, these two will define the Steelers pass rush for years to come.
Artie Burns: 1st Round, 2016
Many people, including yours truly, did not approve of Burns selection in the first round of this past April's draft. Well, there is a reason that we are not in the Steelers front office. Burns keeps getting better by the week, as he leads the Steelers in INT's with 3, and is worlds ahead of the travesty that was Antwon Blake at cornerback. Burns is a player, and he will be an asset in this league for years to come.
Sean Davis: 2nd round, 2016
Yes, his dumb penalty against Dallas likely cost the Steelers that game. But he has grown since then. Davis hits hard, is among the Steelers leading tacklers with 48, and like Artie Burns, this rookie from Maryland is getting better as the weeks go on.
Javon Hargrave: 3rd round, 2016
6'1, 309 lbs. Hargrave is big, he is quick, and he can play defensive end as well as nose tackle. This man is a monster. Stay the hell out of his way. Davis, Burns and Hargrave are three rookies. These men are the future, and the future is looking pretty bright from where I am sitting.
Yes, the Steelers young talent is impressive, and hopefully, the past four games are a sign of things to come. But this recent surge of defensive success as well as the greatness of Le'Veon Bell shows how quick things can change in sports, as well as how ready sports fans are to jump the gun.
Just four weeks ago, Mike Tomlin was a bum, the Steelers were a trainwreck, and the whole organization was just one big fraud. Many people were talking about Tomlin's job being on the line, and although I have never for a day in my life envisioned Tomlin getting the ax, I did raise the question in this post. Fast forward, and such claims and issues and speculations seem silly. The Steelers are 8-5, arguably the most dangerous team in the AFC outside of Foxborough, Mass, and a lot of it has to do with the defensive talent that Tomlin and GM Kevin Colbert have gotten some flack over the years for drafting.
In short, not one part of the Steelers turnaround should be surprising. The offense dominates, and the defensive has a lot of talent that is just now starting to blossom. Pittsburgh is a good football team that is only getting better. So as fans, all we can do is buckle up, and hope that the season doesn't sway again
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