The Steelers defense is the highest paid in the league at $163.1 million, however, they currently aren’t playing at that value. Giving up 30+ points in back-to-back weeks to start the season wasn’t ideal and there are still issues that need to be sorted out.

James Weaver analyzes these issues and looks at the areas of the Steelers defense that specifically need improvement as well as some players that have shown a lot of promise early in the year.

One of those areas of concern has been the run defense play from the defensive line, which has seen a rotating cast of guys underperform while the young rookies build into form.

“With Cam Heyward sitting out the majority of camp and rotating in some young guys like Derrick Harmon (who missed the first two games), Yahya Black, and Logan Lee, the Steelers needed guys like Keeanu Benton and Isaiahh Loudermilk to step up. Early on, they did not do that, as both of them had negative Total Points Above Average in Run Defense, the lowest values on the team through the first two weeks. Benton was also a negative in pass rush. Both of these guys were getting blown off the ball and unable to disrupt any runs that came their way. The struggling interior was the main culprit of the vulnerabilities in the run game.”

A player who has shown promise is Nick Herbig, who has built a pass rush repertoire that is robust and successful.

“Herbig’s speed rush is his go-to as he has given it a go on 30 pass snaps and has generated 5 pressures and a sack. After this, he has a pretty robust repertoire where he has attempted 6 other moves at least 10 times this year. The inside cross, cross chop, and rip moves have all generated at least 3 pressures for him this season and an additional 2 sacks. He’s trying the rip much more often, though, so his success rate has not been as good with that move.”

Read the article to find what else is going on with the Steelers defense!

"If we want to talk about Drake Maye versus Jayden Daniels, I think you could have a legitimate, interesting conversation … It sounds crazy, but I might say Maye right now."

- SIS CEO Matt Manocherian

This week the Off The Charts Football Podcast crew had a spirited discussion about last year’s quarterback draft class, most notably the rising stock of both Drake Maye of the Patriots and Spencer Rattler of the Saints. Maye and Daniels are virtually even in our Independent QB Rating stat (basically QB Rating but accounting for dropped passes and dropped interceptions) at the moment. Rattler is the No. 1 quarterback in our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points.

“I'm willing to plant my flag on this hill today that I think that when the dust settles on both their careers, Spencer Rattler will have started more NFL games than Bo NIx.”

- Bryce Rossler

Two other excerpts from this episode, which also featured a breakdown of the one-loss teams.

1) “I think Tyler Warren's awesome. I think he is the straw that stirs their offense. I think he's as close to George Kittle as we've seen in the NFL and he really transforms their offense.”

2) “I kind of buy the Buccaneers and I also think that we know what we're getting with them.”

Tune in to hear the group elaborate on the Colts, Buccaneers, and Steelers and whether being a one-loss team with a tie counts as being a one-loss team.

Stat of the Week: Fielding Bible Awards Preview Part II

The Fielding Bible Awards will be announced Thursday October 23 from 2 to 3pm on Bluesky. In Part II of our preview, we look at the top contenders among outfielders, pitchers, and multi-position players as well as Defensive Team and Defensive Player of the Year.

SIS Statpack: Week 7

Looking to find statistical leaders, team rankings, and matchup info for this week’s games? Check out (and subscribe for free to) the NFL Statpack. This includes our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, as well as leaders in such things as yards after contact, deep passes and receptions, pressure percentage, and more.

How Derrick Henry Rekindled The Ravens Running Game Against the Rams

“Most of that production (18 carries for 90 yards) came on outside zone and “stretch” runs according to Sports Info Solutions.”

Jonas Shaffer, Baltimore Banner

This Season’s Top Teams Are Showing That Patience Pays Off At QB

Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune looks at J.J. McCarthy from a player development perspective.

Our NFL Draft Website is a great resource for training camp. Learn all about your team's rookies, their strengths, weaknesses, and things to watch heading into 2025.

Our statistical information package includes Total Points, our proprietary metric that values everything that happens on the field, as well as position-specific performance data in the form of raw totals, averages, and percentile rankings. And we explain our stats in our glossary.

Give us a follow on your favorite social media platform to see what is going on in the company as well as our featured statistical content!

Check us out on Bluesky, where we share content and notes regularly, as well as some of your other favorite content outlets. You can also find us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

On Off the Charts, Bryce Rossler, members of the R&D team, and special guests dig into statistical insights, tactical analysis, and personal opinions, aimed at providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the week's key matchups and the intricacies of the sport.

On The SIS Baseball Podcast, we interview current players and coaches about defensive excellence and review the latest baseball news. 

The SIS DataHub is the most exhaustive football database available for both the NFL and FBS. It's loaded with stats and filters to suit all of your analytical needs

The FieldingBible.com website is a great resource for your defensive stat needs. It features player and team stats, Defensive Runs Saved leaderboards, and more.

Come visit SportsInfoSolutions.com for the latest company news, all our articles, job openings, and much more.