The 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers defense is on pace to be among the franchise’s greats. Through ten games, the team currently has the NFL’s second-best scoring defense, allowing 162 total points, good for 16.2 points per game. That point total is the best in close to 20 years. Only 14 Pittsburgh defenses in the Super Bowl era have been better after ten games. Let’s look at the greatest defensive starts of the last 52 years.

#16: 2011 – 179 points allowed in first ten games

Cameron Heyward’s career in Pittsburgh started with a very stingy defense. This team had the NFL’s best defense, allowing 14.2 points per game. It also allowed the fewest passing yards and total yards that season. In their first ten games, they held eight opponents to 20 points or less. After that, they were even better, allowing more than nine points only once. This season ended when Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos delivered a heartbreaking overtime loss in the playoffs.

#15: 2010 – 165 points allowed in first ten games

This team led the NFL in points allowed with 14.5 per game. This defense also led the league in rushing yards allowed, rushing yards per attempt, and rushing touchdowns allowed. In its first five games, the defense never allowed more than 17 points. In the final seven games, they only gave up more than 16 points once. This team won the AFC North and secured a first-round bye in the playoffs, but the Green Bay Packers defeated Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.

#14: 2024 – 162 points allowed

TBD

#13: 2005 – 161 points allowed

The Super Bowl XL champions had the season’s third-best scoring defense, allowing 16.1 points per game. They were a top-ten unit against the run but were Pittsburgh’s only championship team to give up more than 3,000 passing yards in a season. Although this defense gave up a combined 62 points in games 11 and 12, with the season on the line, it rebounded by allowing only 12 total points in games 13-15. In the playoffs, they never allowed more than 18.

#12: 2004 – 161 points allowed

Ben Roethlisberger thrived during his rookie season thanks to a dominant defense, which led the NFL with 15.7 points allowed per game. The defense was also first in total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, and passing touchdowns allowed. This time won the division crown and earned the number one seed in the AFC, but lost to the New England Patriots in the conference championship 41-27.

#11: 1996 – 160 points allowed

The last season for block-numbered jerseys was a defensive powerhouse. This team was ranked fourth overall, allowing an average of 16.1 points per game. They were also second in total yards allowed, second in turnovers, third against the run, and fifth against the pass. This season ended with a division crown, but an exit in the divisional round following a 28-3 loss to the New England Patriots.

#10: 1979 – 157 points allowed

Surprisingly, the Super Bowl XIV champions have the worst defense on this list. They finished the season averaging 16.4 points allowed per game, good for fifth-best in the NFL. But they were overshadowed by the league’s best offense. In four of their first ten games, the defense held their opponents to a touchdown or less.

#9: 2008 – 150 points allowed

The Super Bowl XLIII champs are the modern definition of legendary. The defense led the league in nearly every defensive category, including total yards allowed, passing yards allowed, first downs allowed, yards per play, and yards per pass. Their 13.9 points allowed per game was also a league-best. The defense was even more effective after their tenth game, allowing 13 or fewer points in five of their final six regular-season contests.

#8: 1974 – 149 points allowed

The Super Bowl IX champions had the league’s second-best defense that season, allowing 13.5 points per game. They led the NFL in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed, and turnovers. This team got even stingier after Week 10 and allowed only 11 points per game in the playoffs, including only six in the Super Bowl.

#7: 2007 – 145 points allowed

Mike Tomlin’s first season as head coach was led by its defense. They had the league’s second-best scoring defense, allowing 16.8 points per game. They also gave up the least total yards and the least amount of first downs. However, the cracks in the defense began to show in the last month of the season, where they gave up an average of 28.5 points in their final four games. Although this team won the AFC North, the season ended with a 31-29 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round.

#6: 1992 – 139 points allowed

Bill Cowher’s first season as head coach brought a new commitment to defense as well. Pittsburgh finished the season with the NFL’s second-best scoring defense, allowing only 14.1 points per game. They were a top-ten unit against the pass, but middle of the pack against the run. What made this defense stand out was its league-leading 43 turnovers. They finished the season with the number one seed but lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round 24-3.

#5: 1978 – 139 points allowed

The Super Bowl XIII champions held ten opponents to ten points or less. They had the NFL’s stingiest scoring defense, averaging 12.2 points allowed per game. They also had the second-best rushing defense in the league. After Week 10, the defense got even stingier, giving up more than ten points only twice. The stat from this season that may be the most impressive is the defense’s average of three turnovers per game.

#4: 2000 – 119 points allowed

The short-lived Kent Graham era had a rocky start, starting 0-3. But after that, the defense became inspired, giving up a total of 22 points during a five-game winning streak. Unfortunately, they would later have a five-game stretch where they gave up an average of 27.6 points per game. Although this defense was ranked sixth overall by season’s end, averaging 15.9 points allowed per game, the team finished with a record of 9-7, missing the playoffs.

#3: 1976 – 119 points allowed

Some consider this defense Pittsburgh’s greatest ever. They finished the season as the league’s best, allowing only 9.86 points per game, the lowest in franchise history. They were ranked #1 not only in points allowed but also in total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, rushing touchdowns allowed and first downs allowed. They completely shut out five teams that season. But in the AFC Championship game without Franco Harris or Rocky Bleier, they lost to the Oakland Raiders 24-7.

#2: 1975 – 114 points allowed

The Super Bowl X champions had the NFL’s 2nd best defense, allowing only 11.6 points per game, the stingiest of Pittsburgh’s Lombardi winners. They were the eighth-best in the league against the run and fourth-best against the pass. More importantly, they gave up the fewest passing touchdowns all year, a meager nine. This team only gave up more than 17 points twice all season.

#1: 2001 – 97 points allowed

This team finished the season with the third-best defense in the league, averaging 13.3 points allowed per game. They were #1 against the run and #4 against the pass. They gave up more than 17 points in only four games, and only twice in the first ten games. This team entered the playoffs with the #1 seed but ultimately lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.