To be cliche – defense wins championship – well, they can also lose them. Whether you look at the AFC Championship game last season or the Atlanta Falcons defensive collapse in the Super Bowl, defenses can just as easily lose games as much as they can win them.

This offseason the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted outside linebacker T.J. Watt to help beef up their front seven. It has since been viewed as a solid pick, but only time will tell to see if Watt lives up to the hype.

One thing was made clear in this pick and that is Pittsburgh wants to focus on pressuring the quarterback, not wide receivers. This strategy is fine – and maybe necessary if they hope to ever beat Tom Brady and his Patriots – but you need the tools to do it.

Defensive Line

Do the Steelers have those tools? Yes, but there is a lot of work ahead. It all begins with the defensive linemen and their ability to not just clog their gaps, but stay on the field.

Cam Heyward has easily become the best linemen on this defense, but has had his fair share of injuries that have kept him off the field. When on the field Heyward demoralizes offensive linemen and helps create space for the men charging behind him.

Stephon Tuitt must do better on the line too. Regressing from 54 tackles in 2015 to just 37 last year – both years starting 14 games – Heyward needs a partner in ransacking the offensive line should a package call for the linebackers to stay in coverage.

Linebackers

Looking at the linebackers, Pittsburgh potentially has two of the best and fastest in the league – Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree. However, like Heyward, there is more of a question in staying healthy than ability.

James Harrison is, well, James Harrison. Besides showing up to Heinz Field in a fire truck, there isn’t much the 39-year-old can do to surprise fans.

Vince William is poised to have a good season. He has managed to stay in the 40s as far as total tackles and is coming into camp for the first time as a presumed starter.

Watt then becomes a major wildcard in linebacker corps. Of course, there will be a learning curve. But so long as he’s able to read and react with good instincts, he will open up the rest of the defense.

Secondary

Last and certainly the biggest question mark – the secondary. Artie Burns is the one player, long term, who is expected to anchor the secondary. Last year as a rookie Burns held his own and lived up to his selection in the first round.

But beyond that there are no guarantees. William Gay has had his own ups and downs. He’s not necessarily a shut down corner, but he can get the job done against your average offense.

Ross Cockrell has been the biggest surprise since his signing in 2015. While he may have a history with penalty issues, his play has far exceeded expectations. It will be interesting to see how much he has improved since last season.

Mike Mitchell, who has received a lot of criticism as of late, has yet to miss a game since becoming a Steeler. While he may not have played exactly to the standards of fans, he has still done a good job in blowing up receivers and making big hits.

For the offense to reach it’s highest ceiling, the defense must be able to negate their opponent’s playbook. Since Keith Butler has taken the reigns of this defense, there has been steady improvement.

However, in order to beat teams like the Patriots, the Steelers need all faucets of the defense working well. Each part of this defense must step up if Pittsburgh has any plans on dethroning the Champions and reach the top of the stairway to seven.

Photo Credit: Twitter – @Steelers

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