After a pair of seasons as a top ranked pass defense in 2019 and 2020, the Steelers pass defense struggled at times this past season, dropping to the middle of the pack in 2021. After fielding a top three pass defense in both 2019 and 2020, 2021 saw the unit fall to a ranking of 13th, along with a 16th place finish in forced turnovers with 22, particularly disappointing after consecutive seasons finishing atop the league.
Moreover, after finishing atop the league in 2020 with an opponent passer rating of 79.0, the Steelers opponent passer rating ranked 17th in the league this past season, with the number climbing all the way to 92.