The Steelers finished the 2021 season dead last in the NFL stopping the run -- a harsh dose of reality for a team that prides itself on playing solid defense.
But just how bad was it and can it get better?
That's the $64,000 question.
The Steelers allowed 146.1 yards per game last season, their highest total in the modern era. They also allowed 5.0 yards per carry. Both were worst in the league.
But 394 of the rushing yards they allowed were to opposing quarterbacks on 74 attempts. That's 5.3 yards per carry. And remember, that includes kneel downs.
The 394 yards was fifth-most in the NFL last season and more than 100 yards more than the team had allowed to opposing quarterbacks in 2020. NFL teams played a 17th game last season, but that doesn't account for that total.
The Steelers did face the Ravens twice and the Bills, Bears and Seahawks, all of whom had very good running quarterbacks. But while those quarterbacks did some damage -- accounting for 215 of the rushing yards -- it was a 90-yard rushing game by the Chargers' Justin Herbert that did the most damage.
Herbert had 90 yards on 10 attempts in a 41-37 victory over the Steelers.
While fans have pushed for the Steelers to be able to play more man-to-man defense in recent years, when that happens, the defensive backs have their backs to the quarterback. If he breaks containment up front, he's often off to the races.
Take away the quarterback rushing totals, and the Steelers allowed 2,089 rushing yards. It's still too many, but the 122.9 rushing yards per game are a little easier to stomach.
Unless, of course, you're new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
"We just have got to be better and do things better and more consistent," Austin said. "I think we could play run defense well at times but there were too many big runs. So we’re just going to concentrate on our technique, making sure we get guys in the right place, getting off blocks and tackling better. That’s always a big issue."
The Steelers allowed 24 runs of 20 or more yards in 2021, the most in the NFL. Their three runs of 40 or more yards allowed were tied for second-most in the NFL behind the Bills.
But Buffalo had the league's No. 1 defense.
The Steelers allowed 200 or more rushing yards in a game four times last season.
The key for the Steelers, even in previous years, was tackles for a loss. They run an aggressive up-the-field defense. Because of that, they're always at the top of the league in tackles for a loss.
They finished second in the league in 2021 with 94 tackles for a loss. Only the 49ers, with 98, had more. But that also was down considerably from the 103 tackles for a loss the Steelers led the league with in 2020, especially when the extra game is factored into the equation.
The losses of defensive linemen Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu for most of the season didn't help that. But neither did a much lower blitz percentage.
After blitzing 40.3 percent of the time in 2020, the Steelers dialed that back in 2021, sending an extra defender just 24.9 percent of the time. The Steelers blitzed on 162 plays in 2021 after doing so 244 times in 2020.
Certainly losing Mike Hilton in free agency accounted for some of that dropoff. Hilton blitzed 46 times in just 12 games in 2020, though the Steelers did send Arthur Maulet, one of their replacements for Hilton 31 times last season.
Fact is, the Steelers tried to hold up on their own with a four-man front -- two outside linebackers and two defensive linemen -- more often in 2021.
But, with Alualu and Tuitt out -- and Bud Dupree having left in free agency -- they were doing it with much less experienced players.
There is an expectation that yesterday's inexperienced player is tomorrow's veteran.
With Tuitt now retired, the Steelers are counting heavily on the return of Alualu and improvement from young players to help the run defense be better.
"I’m excited for Tyson to come back and be his old self, which I think he’s working towards,” said defensive end Chris Wormley, one of the players tapped to replace Tuitt. “I think we’ll do just fine with the run.”
The Steelers also are hopeful Devin Bush will bounce back in his second season back from a torn ACL, while the addition of fellow inside linebacker Myles Jack will help fill the holes.
"A lot of people, in my experience, when they come off an ACL, they may play and play the whole year, but they’re not the same guy until the second year," Austin said of Bush "We’re hoping he has an uptick in his performance and he’s able to get back to the run-and-hit guy we drafted."
Thinking that and having it come to fruition are two different things.
"I think it comes down to everyone knowing your job and doing your job," Alualu said. "When you understand the defense, you know where you’re supposed to be. I think that was a big piece of having so many people playing the position. There were a lot of bodies coming in and trying to fill in. I think it was good for a lot of those guys to gain that experience. I think that for what we need to do as a team, that will help us."
