One of the aspects fans and analysts are eager to see following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coaching changes is how the defense performs. Head coach Mike McCarthy selected Patrick Graham to oversee the defense, making him an intriguing hire. Graham spent several years under Bill Belichick as an assistant in New England. Belichick is one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL history, and one Pittsburgh legend believes Graham could make a significant difference.
Former Pitt Panthers coach Dave Wannstedt, whose 2007 squad pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history, believes Graham could make the biggest impact since Dick LeBeau.
“Patrick Graham is going to make a difference … (The Steelers) never recovered after Dick Lebeau left.” Wannstedt said on 93.7 The Fan
There are certainly ways Graham can make a massive impact for this team. The Steelers have talent on defense, but they need a better philosophy and scheme to maximize it. Here are three areas Graham can focus on improving to turn this defense back into a strong unit:
Yards Per Game
There’s no doubt the previous regime was effective at creating turnovers. However, the Steelers were not consistent at getting off the field or limiting opposing offenses’ production. One of those areas was yards allowed per game. It isn’t the be-all and end-all determining factor for a productive defense, but it has a major influence.
Here is how the Steelers ranked in 2025:
- 356 YPG — 26th in total defense
- 243 YPG — 29th in passing defense
- 113 YPG — 13th in rushing defense
For reference, both teams in Super Bowl LX finished among the NFL’s top 10 in total yards allowed. If Pittsburgh is serious about making a deep playoff push, the defense must improve in this area.
Scoring Percentage
The other side of the coin is points allowed, and Pittsburgh wasn’t good enough in that area either. It also doesn’t help that the defense allowed roughly 40% of opposing drives to end in points.
- 22.7 PPG — 16th
- 40.2% Score Allowed Rate — 18th
To put the Steelers in a better position defensively, they need to get closer to 35% or lower. Of the top 10 teams in defensive scoring efficiency, eight made the playoffs. Even more indicative of the importance of this metric, four of the top five playoff teams in this category advanced at least one round. Three reached their respective conference championship games.
Third Down
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One way the Steelers can reduce the number of opposing drives that end in points is by improving their third-down defense. Pittsburgh allowed opponents to convert 43.4% of their third downs during the 2025 season, which ranked 26th in the NFL. That contributed to the Steelers playing the second-most defensive snaps in the league with 1,112.
There’s no doubt that this type of workload can cause a defense to run out of steam when the playoffs arrive, as Pittsburgh has experienced in years past. The Steelers have plenty of areas to improve, but third-down defense stands out as one of the most crucial.
Now, it’s up to Graham and his personnel to get the job done.
