The Steelers' primary struggle of late, on full display in the losses to the Dolphins and Patriots, has been the inability to limit the opponents' ground game.
Their four wins all share the same factor that their three losses do not: In each of their four victories they have limited their opponent to less than 100 yards on the ground. In each of their three losses, they surrendered more than 100 yards rushing.
The two most recent losses came without the defensive leader, Cameron Heyward, but the defensive line has not been the biggest problem in stopping the ground game. When the line cannot generate pressure and disrupt plays in the backfield, it can still occupy as many linemen as possible to free up opportunities for linebackers to be clean of any blockers, read the play and react to what they see.
The linebackers have not been doing their jobs:
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