PITTSBURGH (AP) -The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense wasn’t only the NFL’s best this season, it was one of the best statistically in league history. A scant 55 yards prevented the Steelers from accomplishing something no defense has done since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.
If Cleveland’s Jamal Lewis hadn’t rushed for 94 yards during Pittsburgh’s meaningless 31-0 victory Sunday, the Steelers might have become the first team since the merger to lead the NFL in the four major defensive statistics: total, rushing and passing defense and fewest points allowed.
The Steelers finished with significant edges in three categories – their 237.2 yards per game average is the lowest since the 1991 Eagles gave up 221.8 – but they allowed 54 more yards rushing than the Vikings.
Still, the Steelers (12-4) know what that means as they begin preparing for their divisional playoff game Jan. 11.
did in 1985 and what the Ravens did in 2000. I remember they were showing stats on TV that the (1978) Rams had one of the best defenses, and I didn’t know that. It goes to show you’ve got to win the Super Bowl to be remembered.”
The 1991 Eagles aren’t widely recalled as a great defense, Foote said, because they didn’t make the playoffs that season.
These Steelers compare favorably to what many historians rate as the best defense in NFL history, the 1976 Steelers. That team shut out five of its final nine opponents and allowed only 28 points during that span, or barely a field goal per game.
The 2008 Steelers gave up slightly fewer yards on average than the 1976 team, 237.2 to 237.4, and fewer rushing yards, 80.2 to 104.1, but permitted more passing yards, 156.9 to 133.3, partly because of philosophical and strategical changes in the game. These Steelers yielded 13.93 points per game to the 1976 team’s 9.9.
“I’m quite sure after the season, after the Super Bowl, we’re going to think about that a lot more,” Foote said. “Right now, we’re just trying to get that Super Bowl to make it even more special for our defense.”
nessee on Dec. 21 prevented them from being top-seeded throughout the AFC playoffs.
“Getting 12 wins is important. I remember people saying we weren’t going to do very well this year because of our schedule,” Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu said. “But everybody knows we’re going into the part of the season where records don’t matter any more. So that’s where it’s really positive we have a playoff-experienced team.”
The Steelers reached the postseason for the sixth time in the eight seasons they have played in Heinz Field and the fourth time in five seasons. Since the stadium opened, they’ve won the Super Bowl once and reached the AFC championship three times.
Last season, they were a sagging team going into the playoffs after losing three of their last four, and they had only five days off after the season ended before losing to Jacksonville 31-29 in the playoffs.
This season, they’re peaking with six victories in seven games and will have 13 full days off before playing the highest-seeded team remaining after the wild card weekend. If the Dolphins beat the Ravens at home Sunday, the Steelers will play Miami; if the Ravens win, the Steelers will play the Colts-Chargers winner.
“It’s nice to have this bye week. Our defense has been on the field a lot and this gives our defense a great chance to heal up,” Polamalu said.
how good their defense is.
“If you really want to be a great defense, you have to win the big games, the important ones, because people don’t really remember great defenses that don’t win championships,” Polamalu said. “We have an opportunity to do that, to be remembered.”
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