The Steelers improved again late on Tuesday afternoon when they signed former Browns and Bengals defensive line Larry Ogunjobi on a one-year contract.
Ogunjobi was the best option left to fill the huge void left by Stefon Tweet’s retirement.
Being absolutely available, of course, is where the catch comes in. Ogunjobi was going to be the Chicago Bear, and a profitable 3-year contract, $40.5 million to boot. The problem is that he failed physically, and not only did Chicago invalidate the original contract, they didn’t even bother trying to find a compromise.
We now know that the injury to Ogunjobi, who ended his season after the Bengals’ opener win over the Raiders, wasn’t an ankle problem, but instead a dreadful injury from Lisfranc, something that could drastically change or even end his career.
The bottom of the foot injury is bad enough, but I can’t imagine it helping the Ogunjobi being a 300-pounder.
There is a big warning for you. The Steelers signed a guy, and he’s good, even very good, but he may be damaged merchandise. Got all this?
After outlining the obvious risks here, it’s worth noting that the Steelers’ defense has the potential to be downright intimidating. TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cam Heyward, Myles Jack and now Ogunjobi? In addition, the return of Tyson Alalo, whose workload should be lightened by the versatility of Ogunjobi? This is the kernel of something potentially special.
Alex Highsmith appears to be a player on the rise, although it’s hard to pin down. Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace are fine in the corner, but as with most Steelers defenses the power must remain as the passes rush in. I think Terrell Edmonds is fine. Then there’s Devin Bush, who could be the subject of his own column. If it turns out that all it takes is a year to recover from an ACL tear and get back into early shape, this combination can be downright intimidating.
In other words, the defense must be good. The question is more relevant than anything else. Get me back in the very interested group to see if ‘Win on Defense’ mode can still achieve really great things in the NFL in 2022.
Two Super Bowl participants, Mike Tomlin, boasted the highest defense in the league. The 2008 team title got 20 .The tenth– He was scored for a scoring offense, while the 2010 set that was slightly behind was 12The tenth In the league in scoring.
In 2008 teams could still win it all with a great defense, but the tide has clearly changed. This aspect of the ball was a component of the great teams of the future, but it became abundantly clear that great play in the middle was essential going forward. Aaron Rodgers’ brilliance in Super Bowl XLV is the reason the Packers topped the Steelers. It was almost flawless.
This trend has accelerated since then. Of the 11 Super Bowls played since the Steelers’ last trip, only three have won by defense; Seattle at Super Bowl XLVIII, Denver at Super Bowl 50, and New England at Super Bowl LIII. The other eight winners benefited from quarterback’s play from good to great, and even historic.
Steelers? They’ll try to win a big dose of Nagy Harris, a bruised and bruised attacking defense, and “enough” a quarterback, whether Mitch Trubesky or Kenny Beckett runs it.
Is this enough? Football rules are clearly designed in favor of offenses. Great defensive efforts can be undone by a tricky penalty call, or defenders being unable to play with the same physical intensity to which they are accustomed. Gone are the days when the great defense dictated terms on opposing crimes, in the way that, say, the Ravens did in 2000.
Now, the best defenses are the ones that turn pitches, make life more difficult – but not impossible – for the league’s best passers-by, and stop at the big moments. The 2008 Steelers gave up 223 points in 16 games. In 2020, the Rams had the best defense in the league, conceding 296 points.
For a team that doesn’t have a star quarterback, it makes sense to try to load the star power onto the other side of the ball and hopefully that will be enough to keep matches close and then try to win at the end.
Make no mistake, though. No matter how imposing the Steelers’ defense is on paper, and no matter how brave it is in practice, this team’s ability to compete for a playoff point, and make noise if they actually get in, still rests on Trubisky’s shoulders (zero. wins in the playoffs) and Beckett (no NFL footage).
The casual character full of moves to bolster the defense – and the defensive coaching staff – has led to suggesting that anything short of a top-three defense would be a huge disappointment.
Here’s the harsh truth. This defensive group might reach this high ranking, and it might not be enough.
For better or worse, this is the NFL in 2022.