Behind the Steel Curtain
A look at the greatest defensive efforts after ten games
The 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers defense is on pace to be among the franchise’s greats. Through ten games, the team currently has the NFL’s second-best scoring defense, allowing 162 total points, good for 16.2 points per game. That point total is the best in close to 20 years. Only 14 Pittsburgh defenses in the Super Bowl era have been better after ten games. Let’s look at the greatest defensive starts of the last 52 years.
#16: 2011 - 179 points allowed in first ten games
Cameron Heyward’s career in Pittsburgh started with a very stingy defense. This team had the NFL’s best defense, allowing 14.2 points per game. It also allowed the fewest passing yards and total yards that season. In their first ten games, they held eight opponents to 20 points or less. After that, they were even better, allowing more than nine points only once. This season ended when Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos delivered a heartbreaking overtime loss in the playoffs.
#15: 2010 - 165 points allowed in first ten games
This team led the NFL in points allowed with 14.5 per game. This defense also led the league in rushing yards allowed, rushing yards per attempt, and rushing touchdowns allowed. In its first five games, the defense never allowed more than 17 points. In the final seven games, they only gave up more than 16 points once. This team won the AFC North and secured a first-round bye in the playoffs, but the Green Bay Packers defeated Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
#14: 2024 - 162 points allowed
TBD
#13: 2005 - 161 points allowed
The Super Bowl XL champions had the season’s third-best scoring defense, allowing 16.1 points per game. They were a top-ten unit against the run but were Pittsburgh’s only championship team to give up more than 3,000 passing yards in a season. Although this defense gave up a combined 62 points in games 11 and 12, with the season on the line, it rebounded by allowing only 12 total points in games 13-15. In the playoffs, they never allowed more than 18.
#12: 2004 - 161 points allowed
Ben Roethlisberger thrived during his rookie season thanks to a dominant defense, which led the NFL with 15.7 points allowed per game. The defense was also first in total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, and passing touchdowns allowed. This time won the division crown and earned the number one seed in the AFC, but lost to the New England Patriots in the conference championship 41-27.
#11: 1996 - 160 points allowed
The last season for block-numbered jerseys was a defensive powerhouse. This team was ranked fourth overall, allowing an average of 16.1 points per game. They were also second in total yards allowed, second in turnovers, third against the run, and fifth against the pass. This season ended with a division crown, but an exit in the divisional round following a 28-3 loss...
