Steelers DC Teryl Austin Ranked 3rd Best in NFL

The Pittsburgh Steelers extended defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Wednesday. He had two more seasons tacked onto his already existing contract. After being with the team already for two seasons as the defensive coordinator, the defense got better in key metrics in 2023.

The Steelers improved in scoring defense, moving up to sixth in the NFL, but took a step back in other areas. They finished 21st in yards allowed, 17th in pass defense, and 19th in run defense. They moved up to 10th in takeaways. Again, the Steelers’ defense was beset by key injuries, with Cam Heyward missing six games, Minkah Fitzpatrick missing seven games, and Watt sitting out for the team’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. They also leaped to sixth in DVOA after being 12th in 2022.

Steven Patton created a model that accounts for injuries and other environmental constraints within a defense. Austin’s ranking in that model? Third behind only Dennis Allen of the Saints and Jim Schwartz of the Browns. Also clustered around Austin was Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielson, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

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The AFC Championship game will feature two top 10 defensive play callers in Macdonald and Spagnuolo.

Half of the defensive coaches with a score below zero have either been dismissed or mutually parted ways. pic.twitter.com/sgRZHrNO3j

— Steven Patton (@PattonAnalytics) January 25, 2024

In other words, that’s good company to keep for Austin. For 2022,  the Steelers finished his first season in 2022 10th in scoring defense, 14th in yards allowed, 20th in pass defense, 9th in run defense, and 14th in turnovers, and did all of that while reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt missed seven games with a torn pec. There were some serious jumps in 2023 that signal the defensive is heading in the right direction.

Patton also posted that Pittsburgh’s defense was fourth-best in the NFL at forcing quarterbacks into mistakes. Some of that is their dominant front, but some are the creative disguises Austin uses on the back end, too. There is no doubt he can be better. But when the injuries hit the team as hard they did, Austin’s defense could have packed it in even more than they did with a talented deficiency at linebacker and in the secondary. They did not, and that is why he ranks this highly.