A random football fan could throw on Steelers tape and quickly learn that Pittsburgh's defensive line is the strength of their team. This remarkable group ranks 4th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (90.5) while allowing just 18.7 points per game entering Week 14.
But where does the Steelers' defensive line rank in comparison to the rest of the league?
The folks at Pro Football Focus recently comprised defensive line unit grades ahead of Week 14. With an overall unit grade of 89.6, the Pittsburgh Steelers rank first in the NFL in a tier of their own. The next-highest ranking is the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line with a 78.8 unit grade.
For further perspective, middle-of-the-pack defensive lines like the Buffalo Bills (ranked 16th) and Las Vegas Raiders (17th) have unit grades of 65.7 and 64.4, respectively. The Carolina Panthers are at the bottom of the league with a 47.1 defensive line unit grade.
Of the impressive group for the Steelers, it's not surprising to see T.J. Watt as the highest-graded player from a stellar defensive line. Factored into this impressive group are highly-graded players like Cameron Heyward and Nick Herbig as well as Alex Highsmith and Keeanu Benton.
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In addition to being the best collective DL unit, PFF also labels the Steelers as the best pass-rush unit in the NFL entering Week 14. They highlighted remarkable pass-rush grades from Benton (82.8), while Herbig has the highest pass-rush grade in the league this year at 93.4. After earning game-wrecking forced fumbles in three straight games, it's not hard to see why. Herbig generates rapid pressure on the quarterback.
Steelers' impressive DL could carry Pittsburgh to playoff success
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a more well-rounded roster than we've seen from this franchise in years, but if they are to go places in the playoffs this year, it will be largely thanks to their defensive line.
While Russell Wilson has proven he can carry the weight of the team on his shoulders at times, no defensive line unit is more consistent at generating splash plays. It's these types of game-changing plays that give the Steelers an edge over their competition.
When we get to the playoffs, Pittsburgh will live and die by the success of their defensive line. If the big plays and dominant performances keep coming, this team could go a long way in January.
Though PFF made no mention of Cameron Heyward in their latest article ranking the NFL's defensive lines, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the dominant performance of the three-time First-Team All-Pro defensive lineman only has six sacks and eight tackles for a loss on the season, but his utter dominance against the run and ability to take on double-team blocks can't be measured by a statistic. He's a big reason for Pittsburgh's success.
From top to bottom, the Steelers have had one of the strongest defensive line units in the NFL this season, and based on Pro Football Focus' grading, there's a massive tier gap that separates Pittsburgh from the next-best team.