2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 6-2
Steelers defense
Every snap the Steelers defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good-0.07 EPA a play allowed, 6th of 32, and 0.03 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (11th).
- How they playThey blitz on 27% of dropbacks, the 21st-most in the league, and get pressure on 16%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: -0.03 EPA a dropback, 7th, softest deep right (+1.40 a throw).
- Who hurt themHarold Fannin Jr. (CLE): 181 yards and +11.5 EPA on 17 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 10 against the Bengals, whose offense ranks 5th in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.07 | 6th of 32 | 83rd | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | -0.03 | 7th of 32 | 80th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.16 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 42% | 9th of 32 | 73rd | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 9% | 12th of 32 | 64th | |
| Yards per play | 5.0 | 6th of 32 | 83rd | |
| Yards per carry | 3.4 | 3rd of 32 | 92nd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 35% | 8th of 32 | 77th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 8.2% | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 16% | 32nd of 32 | 2nd | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 16% | 15th of 32 | 55th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.2% | 11th of 32 | 67th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 38% | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.56 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.5 | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.03 | 11th of 32 | 67th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Steelers. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 4 of 8 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 1 against the Falcons, 0.25 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average -0.04 a play elsewhere, the 29th-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs ATLW 20-13-0.32usual -0.07
at NEL 3-20-0.07usual +0.08
vs CINW 30-27+0.28usual +0.09
at CLEL 24-27+0.10usual -0.11
vs INDW 34-22+0.00usual -0.13
at TBW 26-19-0.30usual -0.06
at NOW 16-10+0.06usual -0.05vs CLEW 27-6-0.28usual -0.05Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep right: +1.40 EPA a throw against a league +0.33. The lockdown zone is behind the line right, -0.77 a throw (league -0.22). Completions against them run 0.9 points under expected, 14th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 3.4 yards a carry against them, 3rd of 32. The leak is outside right: 8.2 a carry and +0.39 EPA (league 4.6, +0.00).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 19.926th | 138.514th | +0.098th-toughest | 16.96th-fewest22.98th-fewest28.910th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 6.69th | 57.022nd | +0.3625th-toughest | 7.712th-fewest10.213th-fewest12.713th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 7.429th | 46.930th | -0.0610th-toughest | 14.44th-fewest17.39th-fewest20.212th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 11.94th-fewest12.04th-fewest12.14th-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harold Fannin Jr. | CLE | 17 | 181 | 1 | +11.5 |
| Tee Higgins | CIN | 7 | 90 | 1 | +9.9 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | CIN | 12 | 98 | 1 | +9.3 |
| Devaughn Vele | NO | 5 | 54 | 1 | +8.3 |
| Tyler Warren | IND | 10 | 84 | 1 | +7.3 |
| Romeo Doubs | NE | 4 | 96 | +5.6 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-7+: offenses convert 15% against a league 27%. They are stingiest in the red zone (-0.32 a play, league +0.03) and weakest in games they lead (+0.02, league +0.01).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 211 | +0.02 | +0.02 | +0.01 |
| 2nd down | 157 | -0.23 | +0.00 | -0.24 |
| 3rd down | 105 | -0.18 | -0.04 | -0.14 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 30 | 50% | 61% | −11 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 23 | 61% | 44% | +17 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 52 | 15% | 27% | −11 pts |
| Red zone | 52 | -0.32 | +0.03 | -0.35 |
| Two-minute drill | 57 | -0.03 | 0.00 | -0.03 |
| When they lead | 293 | +0.02 | +0.01 | +0.01 |
| One-score game | 347 | -0.03 | -0.01 | -0.03 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 67 | -0.26 | +0.03 | -0.29 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 27% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 73% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.30 EPA when they blitz and -0.10 when they do not.
They put 6.7 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 10%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.0 a carry; into eight or more, 1.9.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 3 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.06 EPA against them on 15% of throws; screens -0.07.
19 defensive penalties for 176 yards, 11 of them first downs, the 11th-fewest. They miss 10% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 28th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
T.J. Watt leads the pass rush with 12 pressures and 7.5 sacks on 66% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90T.J. WattOLB | 66% | 12 | 7.5 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 1 |
| 56Alex HighsmithLB | 65% | 7 | 3.5 | 9 | 5 | 17 | |
| 97Cameron HeywardDE | 63% | 8 | 2.5 | 8 | 3 | 28 | 1 |
| 95Keeanu BentonDT | 61% | 3 | 0.5 | 3 | 4 | 21 | |
| 51Nick HerbigLB | 54% | 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 1 |
| 94Yahya BlackDE | 39% | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16 | |
| 99Derrick HarmonDT | 18% | 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| 69Sebastian Joseph-DayDT | 18% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 96Gabe RubioDE | 0% | 7 | |||||
| 92Kevin Jobity Jr.DT | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Patrick Queen plays 100% of the snaps with 59 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6Patrick QueenLB | 100% | 59 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 33 | 60.0 | 5 |
| 41Payton WilsonLB | 86% | 67 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 40 | 73.8 | 7 |
| 33Jack SawyerLB | 31% | 17 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 79.2 | ||
| 55Cole HolcombLB | 4% | 8 | 1 | 39.6 | 1 | |||
| 44Carson BruenerLB | 0% | 9 |
Jaquan Brisker is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 67.4 passer rating on 32 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Jaquan BriskerSAF | 100% | 32 | 14 of 32 | 200 | 67.4 | 1 | 3 | |
| 5Jalen RamseyCB | 100% | 44 | 26 of 44 | 232 | 5 | 101.8 | 2 | |
| 22Asante Samuel Jr.CB | 94% | 44 | 20 of 44 | 330 | 2 | 74.7 | 8 | |
| 35Jamel DeanCB | 71% | 38 | 21 of 38 | 287 | 69.7 | 1 | 8 | |
| 28Robert Spears-JenningsSAF | 34% | 11 | 4 of 11 | 31 | 41.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| 23Daylen EveretteCB | 34% | 25 | 14 of 25 | 235 | 1 | 79.9 | 1 | 5 |
| 20Rayshawn JenkinsDB | 27% | 6 | 2 of 6 | 90 | 79.2 | |||
| 25DeShon ElliottSAF | 8% | 1 | 1 of 1 | 24 | 118.7 | |||
| 26Brandin EcholsCB | 4% | 1 | 1 of 1 | 7 | 95.8 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.