Chris Mueller: In an NFL all about scoring points, can 2022 Steelers win with defense?
The Steelers got better again late Tuesday afternoon when they signed former Browns and Bengals defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi to a one-year contract.
Ogunjobi was the best remaining option to fill the considerable void left by Stephon Tuitt’s retirement.
That he was available at all, of course, is where the catch comes in. Ogunjobi would have been a Chicago Bear, and on a lucrative 3-year, $40.5 million contract to boot. Problem is, he failed his physical, and not only did Chicago void the original contract, they didn’t bother trying to find a middle ground.
We now know that Ogunjobi’s injury, one that ended his season after the Bengals’ playoff-opening win over the Raiders, was not an ankle issue, but instead a dreaded Lisfranc injury, something that can dramatically alter or even end careers.
An injury to the bottom of the foot is bad enough, but I can’t imagine it helps that Ogunjobi is a 300-pounder.
There’s your big caveat. The Steelers signed a guy, and he’s good, even very good, but he might be damaged goods. Got all that?
Having established the obvious risk here, it’s worth noting that the Steelers’ defense has the potential to be downright scary. T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cam Heyward, Myles Jack and now Ogunjobi? Plus, a returning Tyson Alualu, whose workload should be eased some by Ogunjobi’s versatility? That’s the nucleus of something potentially special.
Alex Highsmith seems like a player on the rise, though it’s hard to pin down his ceiling. Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace are okay at corner, but as with most Steelers defenses, the strength should rest with the pass rush. Terrell Edmunds is fine, I guess. And then there’s Devin Bush, who could be the subject of his own column. If it turns out that what he needed was a full year to recover from his ACL tear and he returns to early form, this group could be downright scary.
The defense should be good, in other words. The question is more a matter of degree than anything. Count me in the group of people very interested to see if a “win with defense” posture can still yield truly great things in the NFL in 2022.
Mike Tomlin’s two Super Bowl participants both boasted the top scoring defense in the league. The 2008 title team had the 20th-ranked scoring offense, while the 2010 group that fell just short was 12th in the league in scoring.
In 2008, teams could still win it all with great defense, but the tide was pretty clearly turning. That side of the ball was an ingredient for future great teams, but it became abundantly clear that great quarterback play was needed to go all the way. Aaron Rodgers’ brilliance in Super Bowl XLV is the reason why the Packers topped the Steelers. He was nearly flawless.
That trend has only accelerated since. Of the 11 Super Bowls played since the Steelers’ last trip, only three of them were won primarily with defense; Seattle in Super Bowl XLVIII, Denver in Super Bowl 50, and New England in Super Bowl LIII. The other eight winners have benefited from quarterback play ranging from good to spectacular, even historic.
The Steelers? They’re going to try and win with a heavy dose of Najee Harris, a bruising, attacking defense, and “enough” from the quarterback position, whether Mitch Trubisky or Kenny Pickett is manning it.
Is that enough? Football’s rules are pretty clearly designed to favor offenses. Great defensive efforts can be undone by a specious penalty call, or the inability of defenders to play with the same physical intensity that they used to. Gone are the days when a great defense would dictate terms to opposing offenses, the way that, say, the 2000 Ravens did.
Now, the best defenses are the ones that flip fields, make life more difficult – but not impossible – for the league’s best passers, and get stops in big moments. The 2008 Steelers gave up 223 points in 16 games. In 2020, the Rams had the league’s top-scoring defense, and they surrendered 296 points.
For a team without a proven star quarterback, it does make sense to try and load up with star power on the other side of the ball and hope that’s enough to keep games close and then try and win at the end.
Make no mistake, though. No matter how imposing the Steelers’ defense looks on paper, and no matter how stout it is in practice, this team’s ability to contend for a playoff spot, and make noise if they actually get in, still rests on the shoulders of Trubisky (zero playoff wins) and Pickett (zero NFL snaps).
An offseason chock full of moves to bolster the defense – and the defensive coaching staff – has led to the suggestion that anything less than a top-three defense will be a major disappointment.
Here’s the harsh reality; this defensive group might well reach that lofty ranking, and it still might not be enough.
For better or worse, that’s the NFL in 2022.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: In an NFL all about scoring points, can '22 Steelers win with defense?
