The Steelers run defense was their weak spot in 2019. They dropped significantly in rankings, from sixth versus the run in 2018 to 14th last season.
They allowed 1,753 total rushing yards, 875 of which were before contact, and a whopping 878 after contact. Opponents had a field day on the ground, rushing for over 100 yards in eight games highlighted by the Baltimore Ravens, 223 and San Francisco 49ers, 168.
Thankfully, the pass defense was stout, or we would’ve been looking at a far worse record than 8-8.
Here are the top three reasons why the Steelers run defense struggled last season.
Sloppy tackling
As evidenced by the 878 yards after contact, the Steelers run defense just wasn’t able to finish tackles last season. In 2019, the defense recorded 69 missed tackles versus just 42 missed the season before. Surprisingly, cornerback Joe Haden (8) and linebackers T.J. Watt (9) and Bud Dupree (8) flubbed the most.
Stephon Tuitt placed on IR
Defensive end Stephon Tuitt was enjoying what was shaping up to be a career season when he sustained a torn pectoral muscle on the first drive versus the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6. The full muscle tear required surgery and landed him on injured reserve.
Losing Tuitt was a massive blow for the Steelers defense, especially versus the run. Per Pro Football Focus, Tuitt was their most potent weapon versus the run in 2018 with a grade of 86.4. He didn’t miss a single tackle that year and had logged 108 key plays. In just six games and 110 snaps in ’19, he made 53 key plays.
First down defense
This is where it gets really ugly. The defense was 25th in the league on rushing first downs, allowing an average of seven per game. On the season, they gave up 110 first downs to runners. Only seven teams were worse in this category — the Dolphins, Jaguars, Chiefs, Redskins, Browns, Bengals, and Panthers.
Believe me, I’m not complaining. The Steelers overall defense was sixth in the league, and I’m thankful for that. All we can do is look to the future and hope that the run defense returns to its pre-2019 form.
Having a healthy Tuitt back in the lineup will definitely help. A number of players who have undergone pectoral surgery returned to play at the same level. Cam Heyward sustained this injury in 2016 and came back better than ever the following year.
