Labriola on the win against the Falcons

If anyone is still wondering how good the Steelers' defense can be in 2024, the answer can be found in video of the team's 18-10 victory over the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday. And you really should watch the whole video, because it's possible to find special moments over the course of an afternoon when the Steelers were either behind or ahead by less than a touchdown within 28 seconds of a 60-minute game.

There is more than one right answer to any discussion of the Steelers' great defense. The 1976 version is a good one, as that unit ranked first in the NFL in both yards allowed and points allowed. It finished the season with 46 takeaways and 41 unofficial sacks. And during a 10-game winning streak that took the Steelers from a 1-4 start to the AFC Championship Game, the defense allowed 42 points and posted 5 shutouts.

But that's not how you defend today. The NFL decided to cut the teeth on that defense by prohibiting receivers from touching more than 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage before the ball is thrown (the Mel Blount rule) and by giving offensive players the freedom to use their hands (because the Steel Curtain had 99.5 sacks in the three previous 14-game seasons).

The next generation could very well point to the 2008 Steelers defense, a unit that was dynamic in terms of sacks (51) and takeaways (29), and that group waged a war of attrition against the offense that was violent and relentless but legal under the rules of the day. And the cherry on top came at a critical moment in the most important game of the year, when Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison made a pick-six that combined athleticism and tireless effort into a piece of NFL history. And the way they crushed the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game was the spark that lit the fire of the Player Safety Initiative.

These Steelers don't deserve to be part of the debate where 1976 and 2008 are two of the correct answers, but let's first see how this group fares over the next 16 games, which will be played in 17 weeks, and then we can revisit the topic.

However, there wasn't much we didn't like in Atlanta.

In the context of individual stats, QB Kirk Cousins ​​has completed 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards (5.9 average per attempt, which is minimal by NFL standards), with 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions (3 total turnovers), and a 59.0 rating (also minimal). The Falcons' longest play was a 20-yard pass to Ray-Ray McCloud.

Sunday's defense finished with 2 sacks, 7 hits on the quarterback and 3 takeaways. The Falcons managed just 1 touchdown and picked up nothing in the second half as their 6 possessions ended up: fumble, punt, punt, punt, interception, sack to end the game. This, along with a historic performance from Chris Boswell and his Magic Leg Show, was the driving force behind the only victory on Kickoff Weekend, which came from an AFC North division that is supposedly the toughest in the league.

“I appreciate that, but to be completely honest, we have high standards and expectations for this group,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We have some first-team All-Pros on this unit. I expect them to play that way, and that's what they did. Big players show their strength in big moments. I can't say enough about No. 90 and Co.”

Number 90 is, of course, TJ Watt, who performed better in terms of his impact on the outcome of the game than Myles Garrett or Micah Parsons, two players popular with recent award winners who don't seem to appreciate Watt's relentless will and smarts. Watt finished the game with 4 tackles, 1 sack, 3 hits on the quarterback, 2 tackles for loss and 1 fumble recovery, but that's just the surface version of the story.

Late in the first half, his strip sack on first-and-10 from the Steelers' 17-yard line was nullified when a referee ruled Watt had over-judged the snap count and was offside (which was disproved by later video but not replayed). On the next play, the Falcons scored their only touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Cousins ​​to TE Kyle Pitts. Then, with 6 minutes and change left in the third quarter, another strip sack that Atlanta recovered that would have led to a fourth-and-21 at the Falcons' 18-yard line was nullified by an illegal use of hands call against Donte Jackson (who more than made up for that sin with an interception and 49-yard return that led to a first-and-10 at the Falcons' 18-yard line with 2:47 left in the fourth quarter).

All in all, the game is ruined. The Falcons lost this game in no small part because they never found a way to deal with TJ Watt. He may have been the leader, but Watt wasn't the whole show.

There was the aforementioned interception by Jackson – who certainly was a good addition to the defense as a partner to Joey Porter Jr., who came back in exchange for WR Diontae Johnson. DeShon Elliott, another rookie, made a pike interception in the middle of the field and looked like he could develop into a good complement to Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Falcons averaged 4.0 yards per carry, which isn't an optimal number individually, but they only managed 89 yards overall and at no point did it seem like the Falcons had enough to win by just running.

Perhaps unspectacular, but the defensive line was consistent and productive. Cam Heyward had 4 tackles and Montravius ​​Adams added 3 tackles and 1 sack. Larry Ogunjobi had 2 hits on the quarterback and CBS showed one of those encouraging Cousins ​​to block the throw that became Jackson's interception late in the fourth quarter.

But there were some problems. Too often the passing game was either long passes to George Pickens or it wasn't worth the effort. The Steelers were 0 of 2 in the red zone and 0 of 1 in goal-to-go situations.

“If you don't make it to the fourth attempt and one attempt, sometimes you don't deserve to win. That's just a philosophy we live by,” Tomlin said.

“We had some fumble interactions on offense between center and quarterback,” he added. “We shot ourselves in the foot. When you're kicking field goals in a hostile environment against a good group, you better know you're in danger. I'm just really thankful we got it done. We still have some things to work on, but it's really good to work on your weaknesses with the 'W.' And that's what we're going to do.”

Certainly a good start. But just a start.