As most Steelers fans, I’m thrilled with the season so far. Heading into the second half at 6-2 feels pretty great, especially with our defense allowing just 14.9 points per game, putting us 2nd in the NFL. That’s elite company, right? But as much as I want to believe we’re watching one of the league’s best defenses, I can’t help but wonder if the stats are a bit inflated. Looking at our schedule, it turns out that seven of the eight teams we’ve faced so far rank in the bottom half of the league in scoring.

We’ve played the Giants, Raiders, Jets, Chargers, Cowboys, Broncos, and Colts, who all rank 19th or worse in points per game. So yeah, we’re shutting down offenses, but these aren’t exactly the Chiefs or Ravens. It’s not a knock on the defense—they’ve done what they’re supposed to do and held it down. But it makes me wonder: are we truly an elite defense, or have we just been taking advantage of an easy lineup?

To be fair, you can’t control who’s on your schedule. The defense has done their job and then some. They’ve taken care of business every week, locking down weaker offenses. But I think any fan would agree—it’s hard to get a true read on how good we are until we play a high-powered offense. We’ve been impressive, but part of me can’t shake the feeling that we haven’t really been tested yet.

The Steelers have a bye week to rest up and self-scout; they’ll need it because the road gets tough from here. Aside from the Browns, who rank 27th in scoring, every other team we face is in the top half of the league in points per game. And it’s not just the top half—almost every other team is in the top 11 for scoring offense.

Twice against the Ravens (2nd in scoring), plus games against the Commanders (3rd), Chiefs (9th), Eagles (10th), and Bengals (11th), who we’ll face twice. These teams have the firepower to challenge any defense, so this is going to be the moment of truth for us. If we can keep up the same level of play against these high-powered offenses, This defense will be able to be labeled as truly elite.

One thing that gives me a bit of peace is knowing that Mike Tomlin and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin are running the show. Tomlin has been through every kind of season, and he’s always been a master at adapting game plans to fit the opponent. So far, that approach has worked wonders, and they’ve played to our strengths every week. They’re up against a serious challenge now, but I trust they’ll find ways to keep us competitive, even if they have to switch things up against better offenses.

Am I worried, honestly? A little bit. But at the same time, I’ve seen this defense rise to the occasion many times. We have experience, strong coaching, and a team that’s all-in. And it’s not like we’re only relying on the defense—the offense has started to come together being able to put up points and allowing our defense to play to its strength which is getting after the quarterback. Also, the offense being able to sustain drives keeps our defense off the field, the best defenses are on the sideline. An added bonus, our special teams have been lights out, which is huge for this team. If everyone can keep pulling their weight, I believe this defense can rise to the challenge.

The next few games are going to tell us a lot about who this Steelers team really is. I’m cautiously optimistic, but I know the real test starts now. If the defense can hold strong against these top-tier offenses, then we’ll know this team is ready to make some serious noise. For now, I’m just looking forward to seeing them step up and show the league what they’re made of.