The Pittsburgh Steelers have been synonymous with defense for more than 50 years, dating back to “The Steel Curtain” days under Chuck Noll. But this year’s unit could make the wrong kind of franchise history Sunday by allowing 33 or more points in three straight games for the first time since 1968, right before Noll ever arrived.
One analyst predicts that will happen on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts’ high-powered offense.
“Pittsburgh hasn’t allowed 33 points in three consecutive games since 1968, before ‘The Steel Curtain’ defenses of the 1970s,” CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell wrote. “That’s going to happen on Sunday despite the defensive upgrade with [Kyle] Dugger because they’re facing the AFC’s top seed, the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are the league’s No. 1 scoring offense, averaging 33.8 points per game, and their 3.46 points per drive is the highest in the NFL by any team since 2000.”
The last time Pittsburgh allowed 33 or more points in three straight weeks? Weeks 1-3 of the 1968 season against the New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and Baltimore Colts. Bill Austin was the head coach, LaVern Torgeson the defensive coordinator, and very few members of the dominant 1970s defenses were on the roster yet. Andy Russell and Ben McGee were the Steelers’ only two defensive Pro Bowlers that season.
That season led to Austin’s firing as the head coach and the subsequent hiring of Chuck Noll, kicking off 57 years and counting of just three head coaches presiding over the team.
It wouldn’t be a shock at all for the 2025 defense to allow over 33 points to the No. 1-scoring defense in the league. The Colts have put 33 or more points on the board against the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans (twice), Las Vegas Raiders, and the Los Angeles Chargers so far this season.
If history repeats itself in 2025, could that spell the end of another head coach’s tenure in Pittsburgh? The circumstances are obviously much different. Bill Austin was only the Steelers’ coach for a few seasons and didn’t have nearly $17 million per season invested in him through the next two seasons. But Mike Tomlin was given the most expensive defense in franchise history as a defensive head coach and has produced arguably the worst unit in franchise history.
In 1968, a defensive collapse helped lead to Chuck Noll’s arrival. In 2025, another might force the Steelers to rethink everything.
