If there is one thing that the Pittsburgh Steelers are doing much better this season than they did a year ago, it’s taking the ball away. Through less then a third of the season, they already have 80 percent of the number of takeaways that they had all of last year.
In fact, their 12 takeaways are tied for the league lead with the undefeated New England Patriots, and their turnover differential is up there among the league leaders as well. They also continue to produce in the pass-rushing department, among the league leaders again after leading the league in each of the past two seasons.