The Steelers tamed the Bengals on Sunday, 24-16, to improve to 2-0. In that win, the Pittsburgh secondary showed the football world that they can no longer be taken lightly.
Yes, you read the headline correctly.
Pass defense has been the Achilles’ heel of the Steelers for the better part of recent memory. Last season, the secondary was torched on an alarmingly consistent basis. On their worst days, the secondary’s ineptitude provided quite the spectacle. Versus Russell Wilson, for example.
The Steelers secondary did improve as the year went on, though, and it served as a central focus of the 2016 offseason. Pittsburgh spent their first- and second-round draft picks on defensive backs, adding Artie Burns and Sean Davis. Antwon Blake was mercifully let go. The Steelers even completed a rare in-division trade for cornerback Justin Gilbert.
This season is still young. But if the Steelers’ 2-0 start is any indication, all that attention is paying off.
In terms of pure yardage allowed, the Steelers secondary appears troublesome (695 yards in two weeks). Upon further inspection, however, the pass defense in Pittsburgh has made significant strides from a season ago.
read more
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/s...ts-CQ-RSS-Feed