The Pittsburgh Steelers have certainly turned the corner, or as Mike Tomlin said, “Removed that September stench” off themselves. How did they do it? By getting to the quarterback, and protecting their own quarterback.
Everyone knows the usual data related to defensive pass rush, and that usually is based solely on quarterback sacks, but sometimes just hitting the quarterback can be effective. For instance, against Joe Flacco in Week 9, the Steelers just getting to the Ravens’ quarterback can cause him to deliver the ball sooner than expected, and disrupt the play.