Cheat Sheet: A look at the Steelers' 2023 defense

DEFENSE

• Pittsburgh's defense allowed 5.4 yards per play, tied with the Rams, Packers, Buccaneers and Jaguars. Nine other defenses allowed a higher yards per play.
• When breaking it down by who was on the field for each 2023 snap, the Steelers defense was the oldest in the NFL with an average age of 28.4 years.
• Pittsburgh's defense was in its base package with four defensive backs on the field for 35.5% of its snaps, the highest percentage in the league. The Steelers were in their dime personnel with six defensive backs for 23.2% of their snaps, the second-highest percentage. Therefore, the Steelers were 31^st in their usage of nickel with five defensive backs, using it just 35.9% of the snaps.
• In the second half of games, the Steelers gave up 7.6 points on average. That was third-best in the league. In the first half of games, the defense was 27^th in EPA, but only the Browns, Jets and Saints were better in second halves.
• On early downs, the Steelers had the NFL's sixth-best defense in EPA, 11^th-best in EPA per drop back and sixth in run EPA. On third and fourth downs, the Steelers were 16^th overall, 10^th-best in EPA per drop back, but 27^th in run EPA.
• League average is 70% allowing a series of downs to be converted into a new series. The Steelers allowed 68%. Only four defenses were better.
• Breaking it down on a per drive basis, the Steelers finished the regular season 16^th in yards per drive, 9^th in points per drive, 6^th in touchdowns per drive and 16^th in three-and-outs per drive.
• Only 11 defenses began drives with worse average starting field position than that of Pittsburgh.
• The Steelers' 60.7% completion percentage allowed was the sixth-best in the NFL.
• TJ Watt led the NFL in sacks (19) and quarterback hits (36). Watt is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in sacks three different seasons. Watt is also one of two players, along with his brother JJ, to have 19-plus sacks and 8-plus pass defenses in a single season. Watt was responsible for 40% of the Steelers' sacks. Fourteen different Steelers registered a sack during the 2023 regular season. Pittsburgh's opponents average time to throw was 2.53 seconds. Only six defenses faced a quicker time to throw.
• Pittsburgh's defense generated 2.8 sacks per game. Only six defenses were better. The Steelers were plus-11 in sack differential. Pittsburgh ranked sixth in pressure rate (33.1%) since Week 9. The Steelers knocked down the opposing passer on 10.1% of drop backs, the eighth-highest percentage in the league. Pittsburgh's defense finished with the 13^th-most quarterback hits led by Watt with 36, followed by Alex Highsmith with 18 and Markus Golden with 10. Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton each had eight.
• Pittsburgh's defense finished with 83 tackles for loss, the 12^th-highest amount in the NFL. Watt led the team with 19, followed by Elandon Roberts with 10 and Highsmith with eight. Cameron Heyward and Golden each had six.
• The Steelers batted down 15 passes this season. Only Kansas City had more.
• Pittsburgh's played man coverage on 31% of passing plays. Only six defenses played man at a higher rate. The Steelers also had a deep middle of the field defender for 62.8% of pass plays, the fourth-highest percentage in the league.
• Joey Porter Jr. averaged .9 yards per coverage snap this season as the nearest defender. That the fourth-lowest of any NFL cornerback with at least 250 coverage snaps.
• Porter was responsible for 75 yards in penalties against him, most on the team. Watt and Pickens were next with 50 yards of penalties. The Steelers defense committed nine defensive holding penalties. League average was 5.6.
• The Steelers allowed the third-most yards per reception (14.6) to receivers aligned wide.
• Pittsburgh surrendered just nine rushing touchdowns. Only two defenses allowed fewer. The Steelers allowed 2.63 yards after first contact, sixth-best in the league.
• The Steelers finished fifth in red zone defense.
• Pittsburgh's was 21^st in third down defense and sixth-best in fourth-down conversion rate allowed.
• The defense was on the field for 1,195 snaps this season including the playoff game. Twenty-seven different defenders played 111 snaps or more, and 23 played 203 snaps or more. Patrick Peterson led the way by playing 1,162 snaps. No one else played over 974.

*All stats are regular season only unless specified