The Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy this offseason with a flurry of moves, and now that we are only a few weeks away from training camp, it's time to start looking ahead to the schedule. With so many high-flying offenses led by ultra-talented quarterbacks existing in the AFC, it's imperative for their offense to take a significant step forward if they wish to do damage in the postseason when it counts. In 2024, the unit finished 20th in points per drive and EPA/play, as well as 26th in success rate. While most of the young offensive line remains intact, they're counting on the additions of Aaron Rodgers , DK Metcalf , and Kaleb Johnson to help make this a more potent attack.
While browsing through the team's slate this fall, I wanted to talk about the specific matchups that could give them the most trouble. These opponents, some of which they'll see in the early portion of the season, will be a good barometer for just how much this group has improved on the offensive side of the ball. Because defense is a lot more volatile on a yearly basis, it's definitely more difficult to predict which units rise and fall, but it's a fun offseason exercise to take a crack at. There are quite a few revenge games on here which should up the ante a little bit as well. Let's dive into it.
2024 Statistics- Points per drive: 22nd, EPA/play: 21st, Success rate: 17th
Everything, and I mean everything , was a disaster for the New York Jets last season, and it's no surprise that all of the prominent figures within the organization were let go. Even with that being the case, there's still a plethora of talent on this defense, starting with the cornerback position. Sauce Gardner is just one year removed from finishing second among cornerbacks in forced incompletion rate (22%) per PFF and will likely be given even more press reps this season to showcase his length and physicality now that he's playing in a different scheme. One player who continued to dominate last year despite the dysfunction surrounding him was Quinnen Williams , an insanely powerful rusher with quick hands and impressive lower body flexibility to boot. The run defense will be a question mark until it's not, and we know that the Steelers will look to exploit that in the season opener. This should be a good first test.
2024 Statistics- Points per drive: 6th, EPA/play: 3rd, Success rate: 21st
Coming from his man-heavy Boston College roots, Jeff Hafley threw everyone for a loop by constructing an opportunistic defense that revolved around simulated pressures and non-traditional Tampa drops. Free safety Xavier McKinney was the perfect addition to make all the pieces fit together with his ability to keep a lid on the explosive plays over the top and leap into passing lanes when those opportunities presented themselves. Rookie off-ball backer Edgerrin Cooper is a blur with rare movement skills for the position forecasting incredible upside, particularly as a wrecking ball working downhill. Their main obstacle in the way is their lackluster four-man pass rush and if the Steelers offensive line develops the right way, they should be able to give Aaron Rodgers enough time to hunt matchups on the perimeter.
2024 Statistics- Points per drive: 8th, EPA/play: 7th, Success rate: 7th
What now-former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn pulled off last season, with a wounded defense that led the NFL in adjusted games lost on that side of the ball, was nothing short of a minor miracle. Now, they get edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson back in the lineup, who was off to an All-Pro caliber start prior to landing on injured reserve. They also deploy one of the league's most dangerous weapons in the secondary in Swiss Army knife Brian Branch , a playmaker in coverage and heat-seeking missile working downhill. What makes their defense unique is how often they're in base personnel (44.3%—the most in the NFL), but they still trust their personnel to hold up in man coverage on a weekly basis. This could be a good matchup to let Metcalf work vertically, after Detroit allowed the most catches on 20+ yard throws last season, according to SIS . The Lions are a physical team that plays with infectious energy on a weekly basis.
2024 Statistics- Points per drive: 5th, EPA/play: 10th, Success rate: 14th
It took them a little bit to get rolling, but Mike Macdonald's first season in the Pacific Northwest was still a smashing success, winning double-digit games after replacing the iconic Pete Carroll. He's known for creative pressure paths, and the early results were encouraging, with the unit ranking sixth in pressure rate despite not having an alpha superstar up front. Seattle boasts one of the most talented cornerback duos in the entire league in Tariq Woolen , a speedy playmaker that finished second among DBs in target separation in 2024 via NGS . (1.6), and then there's Devon Witherspoon , the do-it-all skeleton key that can cover, hit, and blitz with the best of them. This is a team that struggled versus play-action last year, allowing a league-most 14 touchdown passes, so perhaps that's a point of emphasis heading into the week. Even without a splashy offseason move, this is an ascending collection of players.
2024 Statistics- Points per drive: 12th, EPA/play, 11th, Success rate: 3rd
It was really a tale of two seasons for the Ravens defense last season, with a drastic change to their secondary being the driving force for their turnaround. In Week 11, they moved Kyle Hamilton , one of the game's brightest young stars, to safety and kicked Marlon Humphrey inside the slot, and the explosive plays that were so previously prevalent practically evaporated. Their run defense was stout, ranking first in rushing success rate and fifth in stuff rate, effectively handicapping offenses into being one-dimensional. One potential red flag on the horizon was the dropoff in play from Roquan Smith in coverage, with the middle of Baltimore's defense feeling more accessible than it had been in previous iterations. The Steelers failed to eclipse the 20-point margin in any of the three matchups last season and it's difficult to see them loosening the Ravens stronghold on the AFC North until they find some real answers offensively.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Bell: Ranking Toughest Defensive Tests on Steelers Schedule
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