Good news! I am decidedly more on the ball this week... or, I'm decidedly less busy at work. One of the two of those.
The first three quarters were an impressive all-around display. After all, this is the same Bengals team that dismantled Tennessee two games ago and the Titans are now 7-5 (and a pretty damn good team). They got Chris Henry back, they still had Housh and Chad Johnson. Sure, Rudi Johnson was pretty banged up, but this isn't a shitty team that we beat last night. And, in particular, this is not a shitty offense.
We had four turnovers, they started three drives inside our 30 yard line, and they still only scored 10 points. I think that we should really start thinking about just how damn good this Steelers defense is.
I would say that it's the best one we've had since the '70s.
I realize that's a bold statement, since Ike Taylor ain't Rod Woodson, Anthony Smith ain't Carnell Lake (maybe Troy is in that conversation), and we don't have any linebackers on the outside that compare with Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene in their respective primes. But, I'd take James Farrior and Larry Foote over Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown (especially considering that Brown was always a way better outside linebacker than an inside one).
Casey Hampton's better than Joel Steed and Deshea is better than Deion Figures. Smith/Tyrone Carter is better than Darren Perry.
The biggest difference between this year's defense and every other defense we've had since Cowher started is that this defense can actually defend the pass. It's true. Our secondary does not, in fact, suck. It is, in fact, quite good. We're still screwed against the Patriots, but the secondary stepped up big time yesterday. The Bengals picked up pretty much every blitz we sent their way and there was still no one open. When we rushed only three or four, we still got pressure and there were even some coverage sacks mixed in there.
Once again, those were three really good receivers we faced last night. And we pretty well shut them down. But, since everyone out there (including myself) has had it drilled into their heads year after year that the Steelers secondary sucks big balls and all they know how to do on defense is stop the run, the pass defense has gone largely unnoticed this year.
We have the #1 overall defense, the #2 rush defense, we've allowed the fewest points in the NFL... and we have the number one pass defense. I know that we haven't exactly faced a bunch of offensive juggernauts thus far this season, but we've also had a number of games where we were waaaaaaaaaaay ahead in the second half. Generally speaking, the defense relaxes in those situations and you let up some yards. And some points. But, we haven't done that. Even in a situation last night, where for half of the third quarter and all the fourth quarter, we were trying to sit on the ball and the Bengals were passing on pretty much every play, we didn't yield a bunch of yards.
A lot of times, a defense playing with a big lead adopts a bend-don't-break philosophy. We didn't. We haven't. We've been shutting teams down all year.
Consider the fact that we've only let up 230 yards per game. Total. Passing and rushing combined. 230 yards. Per game. Total. You can say we've had some turnovers on offense that have given the opposition a short field and you can say that our special teams suck, which also gives the opponent a short field. But, my defense of the defense is that, even with a short field and all the touchdowns on returns, we're still allowing the fewest return yards in the league. Even playing with big leads for half the season, the defense hasn't allowed a bunch of yards in garbage time.
And the next closest team (Indianapolis of all teams has the #2 overall defense in terms of total yards allowed per game) is letting up 277 yards per game. At this late point in the season, the next closest team is almost 50 yards per game away.
That's just friggin' impressive. When we had the #1 defense in 2001 (in terms of yards allowed and, I think, points), we were 1st against the run, but 20th against the pass. Just something to keep in mind.
The end result of this long, involved stroke-fest is that the defense can be trusted. This defense can win games for us. If we have the lead, we can put the game in the hands of the defense with full confidence.
All last night, I kept thinking, "Christ. We're letting them hang around. This is a really good offense. They're going to catch us." And they didn't. The defense stepped up. Big time. By the last five minutes or so, I had reached the point where I believed that there was no conceivable way that Cincinnati was going to come back.
We're still going to get shredded by the Patriots, but this gives me hope that we'll at least live to meet them in the playoffs.
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