The focus of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season was on their offense. A floundering unit that didn’t hit their stride until a third quarterback change and revived running game, the offense’s lack of success dominated the conversation. When the defense was mentioned, the discussion revolved around injuries. No Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt lost for the playoff game, and the heap of unavailable names at inside linebacker and safety.
Lost in all that was one thing Pittsburgh’s defense still did exceptionally well. The Steelers had an excellent red zone defense. Metrically, it wasn’t the best. But their ability to prevent any points once teams got inside the 20 was really special.