The Steelers run defense was their weak spot in 2019. They dropped significantly in rankings, from sixth versus the run in 2018 to 14th last season.
They allowed 1,753 total rushing yards, 875 of which were before contact, and a whopping 878 after contact. Opponents had a field day on the ground, rushing for over 100 yards in eight games highlighted by the Baltimore Ravens, 223 and San Francisco 49ers, 168.
Thankfully, the pass defense was stout, or we would’ve been looking at a far worse record than 8-8.
Here are the top three reasons why the Steelers run defense struggled last season.
Sloppy tackling
As evidenced by the 878 yards after contact, the Steelers run defense just wasn’t able to finish tackles last season. In 2019, the defense recorded 69 missed tackles versus just 42 missed the season before. Surprisingly, cornerback Joe Haden (8) and linebackers T.J. Watt (9) and Bud Dupree (8) flubbed the most.