30th in total defense entering Sunday. Despite that Pittsburgh is 5-3 half way through the NFL Regular Season. The Steelers just upset the 7-1 Colts despite ranking dead last among teams that matter defensively. But here’s the thing—the Steelers defense that shows up in wins looks nothing like the unit that collapses in losses. This isn’t about seasonal averages. This is about schematic execution, personnel deployment, and one glaring statistic that separates victory from defeat.
In 5 wins: 20 total turnovers forced (4.0 per game)
In 3 losses: 2 total turnovers forced (0.67 per game)
Just complete opposites when it comes to consistent efforts. The Patriots game in Week 3 saw Pittsburgh force 5 turnovers including 4 fumble recoveries and an interception in their 21-14 victory. Against the Colts in Week 9, they generated 6 turnovers that translated to 24 points directly created. The Vikings matchup in Week 4 featured two critical interceptions by DeShon Elliott and T.J. Watt, plus a game-sealing fourth-down stop.
Contrast that with the losses. The Week 7 disaster at Cincinnati produced 0 turnovers, 0 sacks, and 14 missed tackles in a 31-33 defeat. Against Green Bay in Week 8, the Steelers managed 0 turnovers and 0 sacks while Jordan Love completed 20 straight passes. Even the Week 2 loss to Seattle, despite 2 interceptions, was marred by a critical special teams fumble. The difference? In wins, Pittsburgh’s defense creates chaos. In losses, they’re traffic cones watching the offense drive past them.
Pressure: The Great Equalizer (When It Exists)
The Steelers entered the season with the NFL’s most expensive defense and elite pass rushers in T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. But pressure production tells two wildly different stories. In wins, the pass rush dominates. The Browns game in Week 6 featured 6 sacks with Nick Herbig earning a 94.8 PFF grade that led all defenders that week. Against the Colts, Pittsburgh generated 5 sacks and a 47.6% pressure rate on Daniel Jones. The Vikings game saw 7 sacks distributed across the front seven, while the Patriots faced 9 pressures and 4 quarterback hits that forced hurried throws throughout.
In losses, that pressure vanishes. Green Bay allowed 0 sacks as Jordan Love had all day to dissect the secondary. Cincinnati somehow gave Joe Flacco—yes, that Joe Flacco—a clean pocket all game with 0 sacks. Seattle managed only 2 sacks with minimal sustained pressure. Teryl Austin’s defense relies on athletic linebackers and a healthy secondary to execute its zone-heavy scheme featuring 34% Cover 3 and 28% Cover 1 alignments. When the Steelers are at full strength, they win. When they’re not, they bleed.
Jalen Ramsey’s Move to Safety
Jalen Ramsey’s versatility became Pittsburgh’s secret weapon against Indianapolis. With DeShon Elliott on injured reserve, Jabrill Peppers ruled out with a quad injury, and Chuck Clark sidelined by illness, Tomlin moved Ramsey exclusively to free safety for the first time all season. Ramsey played 100% of his defensive snaps at safety against the Colts, serving as what Tomlin called a constant hub of communication for the injury-ravaged secondary. This marked a dramatic shift from Ramsey’s typical alignment distribution. Throughout the 2025 season, Pro Football Focus data shows Ramsey has logged 461 total snaps with a split of approximately 60-70% at cornerback positions—both outside and slot—and 20-40% at safety depending on game situations and injury circumstances. Against the Colts specifically, that flipped to 100% safety as Pittsburgh deployed increased split-safety coverages that reached a season-high 46.4% of dropbacks.
The move paid immediate dividends. Ramsey recorded 5 tackles and allowed only 3 receptions for 28 yards on 4 targets. His pregame speech reportedly energized the entire unit, and Tomlin gushed afterward that he was glad Ramsey was on the team, praising his high-level play at the position. In losses, the personnel issues become glaring. The Seahawks game exposed defensive depth with missing starters. Cincinnati featured communication breakdowns and predictable coverages. Green Bay’s performance drew harsh criticism with what Rex Ryan called horrendous tackling and missed assignments throughout.
The Explosive Play Problem
The Steelers defense allows explosive plays—defined as 16+ yard passes or 12+ yard runs—at a 12.5% rate that ranks among the NFL’s worst. But in wins, they minimize the damage. In losses, those plays become daggers.The Browns game limited Cleveland to just 248 total yards at 3.3 yards per play. Against New England, Pittsburgh held opponents to 8 explosive plays through three games. The Colts matchup saw Jonathan Taylor held to a season-low 45 yards on 3.2 yards per carry despite entering as the NFL’s leading rusher.
In losses, opponents exploit that weakness ruthlessly. Seattle generated 11+ explosive plays for 395 total yards. Cincinnati racked up 11 explosive plays including a 28-yard touchdown to Tee Higgins. Green Bay tight end Tucker Kraft torched Pittsburgh for 143 yards on multiple chunk plays. When the Steelers stack the box and disguise coverages pre-snap, they survive. When they play vanilla man coverage without movement, quarterbacks pick them apart.
Add letting up explosive plays with the combination of bad tackling. The Cincinnati debacle featured 14 missed tackles—the worst mark of the season—that extended drives and created explosive opportunities. Green Bay drew criticism from multiple analysts for Pittsburgh’s sloppy tackling throughout. In wins, the Steelers average 5-7 missed tackles per game, a manageable number that doesn’t derail defensive performance. Poor tackling in losses extends drives, creates explosive plays, and demoralizes a defense already struggling to generate stops. The discipline gap between wins and losses shows up most clearly in fundamentals.
#Steelers' defensive stats entering Week 9:
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) October 29, 2025
30th in YPG (386.0)
22nd in PPG (25.0)
24th in yards per play (5.6)
24th in 3rd-down conv. % (41.8%)
31st in first downs per game (23.1)
24th yards per pass (7.0)
17th yards per rush (4.3)
22nd in Def. DVOA
25th in EPA per play (0.094)
#Steelers defense vs the #Colts #1 total offense today:
— Steelers Network (@SteelersNetwork) November 2, 2025
💎 20 points allowed
💎 5 sacks
⭐️ 5 turnovers (3 INT’s, 2 FF)
Responded in dominant fashion ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/2jsmHGCKmC
Blitz Rates: Aggression Works (Sometimes)
The Steelers blitz more than almost anyone in the NFL at 35.5% through six games, ranking third-highest league-wide. That’s up significantly from their 29% rate in 2024, as Teryl Austin brought back Blitzburgh mentality. But the results are wildly inconsistent. In wins, the blitz generates chaos. Higher success rates force turnovers, with the Colts game showing 3 interceptions coming directly from blitz pressure. Complementary zone coverage behind the blitz keeps quarterbacks guessing and creates opportunities for the secondary to capitalize on rushed throws.
In losses, opponents anticipate the pressure and exploit it. Cincinnati and Green Bay beat blitzes with quick passes that exposed the secondary in man coverage. Despite aggressive blitzing approaches, Pittsburgh generated zero sacks in both games as quarterbacks found open receivers before the rush arrived. The blitz works when the Steelers generate chaos. It fails when opponents anticipate it and exploit predictable post-snap coverages.
The Bottom Line
In wins: 4.0 turnovers per game | 5+ sacks per game average | 3.5 yards per play or less allowed
In losses: 0-2 sacks per game | miscommunication in secondary | 6+ yards per play allowed
The Steelers defense ranked 30th overall isn’t a mirage—it’s real. But the unit that forces 6 turnovers and generates 5 sacks is also real. The question isn’t whether Pittsburgh can play elite defense. It’s whether they can do it consistently with a full roster and disciplined execution. Sunday’s upset of the 7-1 Colts proved they have the talent. Their three losses prove they don’t always have the focus. In a division where the Ravens and Bengals can score at will, that inconsistency could be the difference between January football and January vacation.
Leave A Comment