The Steelers defense was overrated all year long

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Search your soul, look into your heart and minds SteelerNation and you'll see it was true. The #1 overall defense in statistics but on the field it was a different story. Credit the #1 defense ranking to the Steelers playing teams like the Rams, Browns, Chiefs, and Bengals. Not exactly the kind of offenses that put up 30 or 40 points in a week. You expect them to play well against Quarterbacks like Clemens, McCoy, and Dalton. Teams that also have a lack luster running game, so you expect the Steelers defense to stop that run.

Has the secondary improved, sure they have. Ike Taylor had his best year but had his worst game today. Will Gay was probably the most improved player on the team but he looked like the guy we saw last year at times today. Ryan Clark not being in the game was a bigger loss than we would have liked to think. Ryan Mundy is a capable, solid, Safety and he made some plays today, including 4 Tackles and 2 Forced Fumbles. However in a situation where Ike Taylor was probably expecting help, on the last play Mundy was as out of position as Taylor was.

The injuries on the front 7 were ultimately too much to overcome. You came into this game already behind the 8 ball all year long after losing Aaron Smith early in the year. They managed to step up to the challenge but then Casey Hampton goes down, Brett Keisel goes down and you end up with 3 healthy defensive lineman to play the last 2 1/2 quarters of the game. The standard may be the standard, but those guys were sucking wind in the 4th quarter and just not able to generate any pass rush.

Lamarr Woodley split time with Jason Worilds to ease him back into action after missing 2 months worth of play with that hamstring. Timmons played well today, but both James Farrior and Larry Foote were unable to keep up and generate any rush much less cover the middle of the field consistently.

You hate to say it, hate to admit it but the truth is the Steelers defense was exposed at various times during the year and today in epic fashion.

[Black@Gold Forever32]

Their finest moment was beating Brady but other then that it was a very blah year....I know I always take some flack from some people when I suggest the old man needs to go but he does.........after 2008 the old man should have retired on top to cap a great career......

[BlitzburghRockCity]

I honestly don't know how they beat Tom Brady and the Patriots. You're right it was their finest moment this season. They played a great game that day, they were inspired that evening at Heinz Field. That was their crowning glory and they haven't been able to duplicate that performance since.

[Clevelandsux]

Inability to create turnovers. Agreed. This defense was overated. Couldn't stop teams in critical moments. They couldn't get any pressure on tebow.Let him scramble around all game and made him look like a real qb.

[Stlrs4Life]

Old and slow. Good post. And look back, we played like Shit ever since that NE game.

[LatrobePA]

IMO the whole damn team was overrated! Ben was a dud, NO pass rush at all! Time for change! Clean house Tomlin!

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Old and slow. Good post. And look back, we played like Shit ever since that NE game.

I would add "out of position and blown off the ball" to that monicker too Dom. Once thing that repeatedly bugged me today about this game was Lebeau's lack of bringing more blitzing pass rush. I understand you're under manned but if the down lineman are holding their own then bring some extra heat. You certainly couldn't have done any worse than you did.

[BlacknGold Bleeder]

The injuries definitely made the difference. the coaching staff was out coached also. It was a culmination of things the added up to this loss.

The number one ranking may have been somewhat of a farce but for 17 games this season they won 12 of them. You don't win that many with out doing something right. Were they exposed at times ,yes ,but to say that the season was a total waste isn't fair either.

[Moondog]

The defense was missing those game changing splash plays this year, they were down on their sack count and turnovers. The soft schedule is what made them look better than they were.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

The injuries definitely made the difference. the coaching staff was out coached also. It was a culmination of things the added up to this loss.

The number one ranking may have been somewhat of a farce but for 17 games this season they won 12 of them. You don't win that many with out doing something right. Were they exposed at times ,yes ,but to say that the season was a total waste isn't fair either.

Certainly not a total waste. They learned, the hard way, that they need to do something at middle linebacker here opposite Timmons. They learned that the defensive line can be good when healthy but it's clear that with guys like Hampton and Smith possibly retiring, and Hoke's career in question, there is still work to be done.

Bright spots though were that we saw Keenan Lewis and Will Gay drastically improve their game over the course of the year. We saw Ryan Clark adjust his game to be more of a form tackler than a kill shot technician.

We saw that Jason Worilds, while improved, is not necessarily the answer to the future at OLB. We saw that Woodley's contract was well deserved because it was painfully obvious when he was not in there.

To be fair the defense kept the team in games most of the year, and that's a big plus. However the lack of turnovers and sacks for a #1 ranked defense was a ticking timebomb waiting to go off.