As has been the case all season long, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense gave up a bunch of yards but stepped up when it mattered the most. They notched multiple turnovers but perhaps more importantly, held the Green Bay packers to 1-5 in the red zone. In a game that went down to the wire, these stops were of the utmost importance. Through the first ten weeks of the season, the Steelers defense currently ranks 4th in red zone touchdown % league wide.
Steelers Now analyst Derrick Bell breaks down how Teryl Austin’s group was able to rise up to the occasion when their backs were truly up against the wall. One neat aspect of the performance was that the spectacular plays didn’t just come from their stars. In fact, there were several role players who stepped up to the challenges and made some game-altering plays down the stretch. Patrick Peterson’s interception off Jordan Love with just four minutes left in the game was arguably the biggest play of the entire game.
This defense as currently constructed won’t be confused for the Steel Curtain by any means, but they’re doing exactly what good modern defenses do: take the football away and hold teams to field goals. This bend but don’t break mentality is providing overwhelmingly positive results, even if the games do tend to come down to the wire in typical stressful fashion.
Related: Film Room: Elandon Roberts Strengths & Weaknesses on Display Vs. Packers
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