4 positives to take away from Steelers gut-wrenching performance vs Lions

Steelers pass defense was terrific

Pittsburgh’s run defense in Week 10 was atrocious — there’s just no getting around that. They surrendered a whopping 229 yards on the ground (5.9 yards per carry) in addition to a pair of rushing scores. However, their stellar pass defense somehow has been forgotten as a result.

Part of the reason for the Lions lack of success in the passing game might have had to do with how much success the team was having on the ground, but Jared Goff still threw 25 passes in this one. During which time, he completed just 14 for 114 yards and a dismal 4.6 yards per attempt.

Goff’s 67.8 passer rating and 14.3 QBR, via ESPN, showed just how well Pittsburgh’s secondary performed in this one. In addition, Cameron Sutton and Tre Norwood both dropped interceptions down the stretch, while Minkah Fitzpatrick had a pick called back due to a penalty.

The Steelers have struggled a bit in pass defense this year, but they took care of business against subpar competition. Let’s hope they can keep this going against a much better quarterback in Justin Herbert on Sunday Night Football in Week 11.

This game shouldn’t have given us a surplus of confidence moving forward, but at least there are a few positives to note from Sunday’s performance. Hopefully, this team will have better luck next week.