The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense had a much-needed dominant outing against the Indianapolis Colts. That unit has struggled for much of this season. However, against the Colts, it played closer to its potential. The Steelers forced six turnovers and recorded five sacks, helping power them to victory. Despite that, Ben Roethlisberger is still worried about the team’s ability to do that consistently.
“My concern is, can we win without getting a ton of turnovers?” Roethlisberger asked Tuesday on his Footbahlin’ podcast. “Six turnovers, you have to win. It’s almost impossible not to win. Jets game, we won, but that was iffy. Seahawks, we lost. Patriots, really good football team. They’re playing really good football right now.
“We won because they turned the ball over at least five times. Vikings, I don’t think they’re a good team. Browns. Bengals, we lose, no turnovers. Packers, we lose, no turnovers. Colts, we win because we created a lot of turnovers. Can we line up, get no turnovers, and still win the football game?”
The Steelers’ defense has been slightly feast-or-famine this year. If it isn’t generating turnovers, then it’s often gotten pushed around. Roethlisberger is correct that the team’s schedule helps support that. Two of the Steelers’ worst defensive performances saw them force zero turnovers.
However, their defense has also had fine outings without turnovers. The Steelers didn’t force any turnovers against the Browns, but held them to only nine points. Also, the Steelers recorded two turnovers against the Seahawks, but they lost that game. That shows their defense can still play poorly even if it produces turnovers.
The Steelers’ defense shouldn’t be knocked for taking the ball away, though. It’s thrived off of doing that for years. Last year, the Steelers were tied for the league lead in turnovers. Like it or not, turnovers are a huge part of their team’s culture.
Additionally, the Steelers have shown that their defensive performance in Week 9 wasn’t a fluke. As Roethlisberger mentions, they also created a lot of turnovers against the Patriots. That was part of their game plan entering that week. Mike Tomlin takes pride in his defense’s ability to get the ball back for his offense.
The Steelers aren’t really built to play from behind, so it might be tougher for them to win games when their turnover margin is even or negative. However, there are plenty of tests left for them. Several of the league’s best offenses remain on their schedule. We’ll see if they can ease Roethlisberger’s concerns.
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