Certain statistics don’t really mean all that much, but other statistics can be extremely telling. Then there are the deeper analyses which can really paint a portrait of an NFL team.
A great example of this is the NFL Matchup Twitter account which provided some great insight into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ blitzing tendencies and relative success.
Not too long ago, NFL Matchup had the following tweet about the Steelers having one of the lowest blitzing percentages in the NFL:
These Defenses Blitz the most this season!#Browns #KeepPounding #GoPackGo #LARams #BroncosCountry #GoSaints #Texans #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/fh5BA1lOPg
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) November 7, 2017
This spawned tremendous discussion, especially considering the Steelers were still near the top of the NFL in sacks when it was released.
Since then, the Steelers have continued to get pressure on the quarterback. They’re currently second in the NFL in sacks, but the following percentage of pressuring the quarterback when they blitz is certainly impressive.
These teams get the most Pressure on QBs when they Blitz!#HereWeGo #Jaguars #Chargers #HTTR #Bengals50 #LARams #FlyEaglesFly #GoNiners #BeRedSeeRed #Colts pic.twitter.com/gRlcLgk0hW
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) November 17, 2017
So, to sum this all up, Keith Butler’s defense is getting home with just a standard front-four rush, which we know from the sack totals. His defense is also blitzing at a very low rate, but whenever they do blitz, they’re getting home more than any other team in the National Football League.
Here are the Steelers’ sack numbers after Week 11:
Cameron Heyward - 7
Vince Williams - 6
Bud Dupree - 4
T.J. Watt - 4
Anthony Chickillo - 3
Tyson Alualu - 2
Javon Hargrave - 2
Stephon Tuitt - 2
Mike Hilton - 1
Joe Haden - 1
L.T. Walton - 1
James Harrison - 1
TOTAL: 34