The Steelers' defensive philosophy hasn't changed in the midst of their rebuilding the past several years, though pretty much everything else has. Only Lawrence Timmons and James Harrison remain from the last time they were the NFL's No. 1 defense. But even with a new defensive coordinator and the 3-4 not being the primary formation, they remain the same in principle:
• Shut down your opponent's run game to the extent that they have to beat you with the pass.
• When they're in predictable passing situations, blitz from so many different angles and looks to confuse the quarterback as much as possible.
The more successful the defense is at stopping the run, the more exotic the blitzes.
That's exactly what went right for the Steelers when they completely dismantled the Dolphins, 30-12, Sunday in the AFC Wild Card game at Heinz Field. Jay Ajayi had 33 yards on 16 carries, which forced Miami to pass in key situations. With the help of the Steelers' offense building a significant lead early in the game, this meant that the Dolphins had to start resorting to the pass earlier than they wanted, which created opportunities for big plays.
The Steelers forced three turnovers in three consecutive possessions, each of which came on first down. That's not just a coincidence, that's the design of the defense taking shape.
We slip into the film room to show exactly how that transpired:
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