Pittsburgh’s Defense Can Spare You A Nickel But Not A Dime

In their pockets and tucked away in their couch cushions, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense has plenty of nickels. They’re all out of dimes.

Through four games, the Steelers haven’t run a single snap of its six defensive back dime defense. It’s a departure from every other recent year that used the grouping in obvious passing moments. Third-and-long, end-of-half, and end-of-game. Get all the athletes and defensive backs on the field. Instead, it’s been completely absent.

To offer context, here’s the number and percent of dime snaps since 2020.

Steelers Dime Defense Usage (2020-2025)