Through the first nine games of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a defensive unit featuring a number of big names and is considered the clear strength of the team sits near the bottom of the league in a number of statistical categories.
Pittsburgh is 28th in total yards allowed per game (379.7), 27th in passing yards allowed per game (248.4) and tied for 25th in rushing yards allowed per game (131.2).
Yet, the Steelers are 6-3 on the season because of two key stats: takeaways (18th, tied for first in NFL) and points per game allowed (20.