Defense has been the calling card of the Pittsburgh Steelers since their heyday in the 1970s.
Back then, the Steel Curtain had the likes of “Mean” Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount.
Fast forward to the 1990s, and the Blitzburgh defense featured Kevin Greene, Rod Woodson, and Greg Lloyd.
In the 2000s, James Harrison and Troy Polamalu both won Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Pittsburgh’s defense continues to thrive with reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
With that lineage of illustrious players, it’s no surprise that they’re leading the league in an essential defensive stat for this century.
Most SACKS by team in the NFL this century. 💪👀#NFL pic.twitter.com/I1OkZAU1gH
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) April 13, 2022
The Sunday Night Football on NBC Twitter account revealed that the Steelers have the most sacks during this century with 986.
More importantly, the defense has allowed current head coach Mike Tomlin to not have a losing record in 15 seasons.
Modern-Day Steelers Keeping The Team’s Tradition
Last season, the Steelers had the most sacks in the regular season with 55.
Watt led the league with 22.5 sacks while Heyward had ten.
Defensive tackle Chris Wormley added seven, while linebacker Alex Highsmith finished with six.
Derrek Tuszka, Devin Bush, and Henry Mondeaux had two apiece.
The defense carried them through large parts of the 2021 season, especially when Ben Roethlisberger and the offense struggled.
Their excellence led to a surprise playoff appearance when no one expected them to go beyond the regular season.
Roethlisberger may have retired, but their tenacity on defense stays.
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