Steelers were one of the best teams against the run in 2018

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always been a team that prides themselves with their ability to shutdown opposing run games. Last year was no exception.

From Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel to Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, and Javon Hargrave, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always had players who knew how to shut down the run game.

Steelers teams from the early 2000’s had some of the best run-stopping defenses in the history of the league, and it was no coincidence that those big guys up front were part of two Super Bowl victories in Pittsburgh.

The NFL has changed since then, and teams are now passing the ball more than ever. With a smaller, more athletic breed of defensive lineman we see today, these run-stopping mammoths of yesterday’s game often get overlooked.

In a recent tweet from Pro Football Focus, the Steelers were praised for their run stopping ability (something that often goes unnoticed in today’s game). Here’s what they had to say:

Though players in the mold of Stephon Tuitt don’t often stand out on the stat sheet, it doesn’t mean they are not valuable to the team. As good as Aaron Smith was for the Steelers, he never eclipsed 8 sacks in a single season over his 13-year NFL career. In fact, Smith averaged less than 3.5 sacks a season throughout his career.

However, nobody is going to say Aaron Smith wasn’t a good player because of his lack of statistical production in the box score. Much is the same with Stephon Tuitt – maybe the Steelers best run stopper on the team.

While the Steelers ‘big three’ defensive lineman average in at well over 300 pounds, they do their jobs well. In fact, Heyward, Tuitt, and Hargrave each scored higher than an 81.0 overall grade in 2018.

In a day and age where smaller, faster defensive lineman are stealing the spotlight, it’s nice to see Pittsburgh’s big defensive front get credit for what they do best – shutting down opposing teams’ run games. Let’s hope this trend continues into 2019.