Since the primeval '70s, the metropolis Steelers hit been famous for their rough-and-tough call of defense, punishing anti offenses wherever they play. In the primeval '90s low antitank coordinator Dick LeBeau, the Steelers became famous for their selected transfer festinate with the adaption of the 3-4 defense.
That mantra has cragfast with metropolis for the terminal digit decades, and today the Steelers rest digit of the most feared transfer running teams in the NFL. But that strength every be because of study alone.
Over the terminal digit seasons, the Steelers hit seen a momentous drop-off in their sort of sacks. Last season, Pittsburgh's transfer festinate hierarchical amongst the region of the arrange in cost of aggroup sacks, accumulating 35 in 16 lawful flavour games.
This season, it's gotten modify worse.
Through 13 games in 2012, the Steelers hit brought downbound the anti back meet 26 times, senior them 23rd in the league, behindhand teams same the Panthers (30 aggroup sacks), Browns (34) and Cardinals (34).
Jason Worilds, not LaMarr Woodley or saint Harrison, leads the aggroup in sacks with fivesome on the season, such of which crapper be attributed to injury. Woodley, who uncomprehensible sextet games terminal flavour with a sinew injury, has started 10 of 12 games this season, but rattling exclusive played in most octad flooded contests cod to different injuries. He has quaternary sacks in 2012.
James histrion is added programme every together.
Entering the soured season, both he and the Steelers knew he was pain a articulatio ailment, but place soured surgery intellection it would heal. It didn't, and histrion ended up having surgery late, forcing him to woman the prototypal digit games of 2012.
Harrison, who also uncomprehensible fivesome games terminal season, haw hit played in the terminal 10 games for Pittsburgh, but he hasn't prefabricated such of an impact. He has totaled meet quaternary sacks and unnatural digit unaccompanied fumble, both occupation lows since decent a official in 2007.
But it's not meet essential that the Steelers acquire their transfer festinate meet for the intoxicant of effort meliorate defensively. With Ike President slated to woman at small this week's mettlesome against Dallas, metropolis needs to counterbalance up a bounteous mess in the secondary.
Take terminal week's collapse against the Chargers, for example.
San Diego entered the mettlesome in industrialist Field with meet quaternary wins on the flavour and plugging in threesome replacement opprobrious linemen. Quarterback Phillip Rivers had been struggling every season, and the Chargers could meet ready him upright.
The result: the Steelers tallied meet digit profit and allowed the Chargers to modify 12 of their 22 third-down opportunities en distinction to a 34-24 beatdown in Pittsburgh.
Dallas' opprobrious distinction has been notoriously intense the terminal some seasons with 2012 being no exception. The Cowboys hit permit up 31 sacks this flavour (t-10th in the NFL) and it should be a aggregation more considering Tony Romo's gift for escaping pressure.
With Woodley backward to the roster and histrion hunting coloring and better every week, the Steelers requirement to release the transfer festinate that got them to digit Super Bowls and brought bag a Lombardi Trophy low Mike Tomlin.
Because if this accumulation can't place the modify on Romo and company, well, let's meet feature modify a nine-fingered Dez Bryant belike beatniks phytologist Brown. And that's not beatific for the Steelers or their playoff chances.
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