Mark Madden: This Steelers 'D' could be comparable to '76 unit

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense in 1976 is regarded by some as the NFL’s greatest ever and is among the top five by acclamation.

The current Steelers defense has a chance to approach those lofty heights.

It won’t allow just 28 points over its last nine games or post five shutouts like that ’76 defense. That can’t happen in today’s football. The game has changed. The rules are designed to encourage scoring, as is the officiating.

Today’s defense might have four Hall-of-Famers like the ’76 unit. It probably won’t send eight to the Pro Bowl like the ’76 unit.

But that defense was constructed for then. This defense is constructed for now.

Consider Monday’s season-opening 26-16 victory over the New York Giants. The Steelers’ defense didn’t have a vintage night. The Giants converted eight of 15 third-down opportunities. They put together a 19-play drive. New York quarterback Daniel Jones hit Darius Slayton for a 41-yard touchdown, putting the ball where Minkah Fitzpatrick vacated. Nobody’s perfect, not even a first-team All-Pro safety.

But the defense still heavily influenced the result by being a splash-play machine. That’s how defenses win games in 2020.

Bud Dupree pressured Jones into serving up an interception that fluttered into Cam Heyward’s arms. That ended the 19-play drive. Zero points for the Giants.

T.J. Watt got another pick by making a marvelous read.

The Steelers got three sacks: a bit low by their lofty standards. They had 54 last season.

But the most amazing part of the night’s work was the defense bludgeoning Saquon Barkley into submission. The Giants back might be the NFL’s best. But he was tackled eight times for loss, three times for no gain and finished the evening with 6 yards on 15 carries.

Ben Roethlisberger had 9 rushing yards on three carries, so he outgained Barkley.

Running behind a lackluster line didn’t help Barkley, but he had no chance. The Steelers defense lived in New York’s backfield all night. It was easy to feel sorry for Barkley.

It’s blasphemy locally to compare any defense to the group from ’76 — which did not win a Super Bowl. Running backs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier missed the AFC championship game at Oakland, and the result was a 24-7 defeat. That defense floundered a bit in the season’s early going, allowing 22 points per game as the Steelers started 1-4.

But then it allowed six, zero, zero, zero and three points. It had two straight shutouts to end the season and nine consecutive wins to end the season.

Those Steelers and that defense were a true juggernaut until injury intervened. Middle linebacker Jack Lambert called that team the best he played on. Easing the disappointment (somewhat) was four Super Bowls won that decade by many of those same players.

That ’76 defense made its share of splash plays: 41 sacks and an amazing 46 takeaways.

Twenty-two of those takeaways were interceptions. Back then, tossing a pick wasn’t akin to the Hindenburg disaster. Quarterbacks took more chances and fired further downfield.

That defense recovered 24 fumbles, separating foes from the ball and their senses. Lambert recovered eight fumbles, tacking on two interceptions.

The unit allowed the NFL’s fewest yards per play (3.8) and fewest points (9.9 per game). Those numbers are even more amazing considering the rocky start.

Lambert, Mel Blount, Joe Greene and Jack Ham made the Pro Football Hall of Fame and that year’s Pro Bowl. Glen Edwards, L.C Greenwood, J.T. Thomas and Mike Wagner also went to the Pro Bowl. Lambert and Ham were first-team All-Pro.

This year’s Steelers defense isn’t there yet. But, ultimately, it might be comparable. It definitely will take a different path.