Even after starting the season giving up 31.5 points and nearly 400 yards per game over their first two games, the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense felt like it was too talented not to figure something out. This is a unit headlined by two likely Hall-of-Fame players in Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt, and guys like Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay were brought in to add even more veteran savvy and leadership.
They started to figure things out in Week 3 against the Patriots, forcing five turnovers (four fumbles and one interception) and allowing just 14 points to the Patriots. They still allowed far too many big plays, however, especially on third downs. They allowed New England to convert six third downs on 13 attempts, with several being over 10 yards to go.
In Week 4 against the Vikings in Dublin, Ireland, the defense played an even better overall game. They had six sacks, forced two turnovers, and allowed just four third-down conversions on 14 attempts. The final score of 24-21 looked closer than it really was, thanks to a blown coverage and poor coaching decisions from Mike Tomlin, but it proved unequivocally that this defense still has some magic left.
Pittsburgh Steelers still have their trump card on defense after back-to-back vintage performances
The Steelers' defense has relied on creating havoc for years now, as they have struggled to field a strong secondary that can hold up in coverage. That changed for a while when Minkah Fitzpatrick was at his peak, but sacks and turnovers have been how Pittsburgh has made its mark over the last decade.
Even with the additions they made to the secondary this offseason, that formula seems to still be required for the unit to be effective. Even with all of the sacks and turnovers forced over the past two weeks, they have only won by a combined 10 points. Part of that slim margin of victory is an offense that is still figuring things out, but that just adds more pressure to a unit that is already used to carrying the load.
It seems like clockwork that one of Watt, Heyward, or now Nick Herbig will force a bad play from the opposing quarterback, whether it be a strip sack or a bad throw under pressure. Watt even intercepted a pass this week for the eighth time in his career.
Whatever magic Mike Tomlin seems to be able to get his defense to create when they need it is alive and well, and it's a welcome sight for fans who undoubtedly were questioning if they still had that in them. Let's hope they can keep it up as the season moves along. Otherwise, we could see a lot more games that resemble Weeks 1 and 2.