On the latest episode of the “Deebo and Joe” podcast, former Pittsburgh Steelers stars James Harrison and Joe Haden dissected the remarkable transformation of Pittsburgh’s defense.
After finishing near the bottom of the league in several key categories last year, allowing nearly 390 yards and 25 points per game, the Steelers have engineered a complete turnaround. Through the first half of the season, Pittsburgh ranks sixth overall, holding opponents to just 305 yards and 18 points per game while leading the NFL with 26 total team sacks.
For Harrison, the dramatic shift boils down to scheme clarity and defensive coaching under Mike McCarthy.
"This is what it looks like when you have a defensive system that doesn't have a bunch of deficiencies in
it. A defense that doesn't have a whole bunch of weaknesses,” explained Harrison. “We have a better staff. Mike McCarthy is doing a better job of coaching. He's putting coaches into positions to be able to coach these players."
Haden pointed directly to the line of scrimmage, praising veterans Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton for collapsing pockets and controlling run gaps up front.
"Cam is balling, Benton's balling, the defensive line is balling,” added Haden. “That's helping out the linebackers. I haven't seen none of our defensive tackles start back. I've seen them the other way. They're pushing the line the other way."
That trench dominance has freed up perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt, who sits tied for the league lead with 7.5 sacks alongside a forced fumble, fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown.
By eliminating scheme confusion and resetting the line of scrimmage, Pittsburgh's defense has re-established itself as one of the NFL's most feared units.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why the Steelers defense is playing at an elite level under McCarthy
