Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo announced his retirement last week. Steelers linebacker James Harrison admits he's considering it. Both players have been key to a pair of the league's best run defenses over the past decade.
Over the last 10 years, the Patriots and Steelers are two of just eight teams that have ranked in the top 10 defending the run at least five times. Pittsburgh has been especially impressive, ranking that high an incredible nine times -- two more than any other team.
Harrison is 37, while Mayo has battled injuries in recent seasons. But their losses, if it plays out that way in Pittsburgh, too, will hurt those defenses.
There's a pretty good correlation between run defenses and playoff appearances. Of the team with the fewest top-10 run defenses over the past decade, only Green Bay is a regular playoff participant. Most of the others have been shutout from postseason play entirely.
RUN DEFENSES, TOP-10 RANKINGS (2006-2015) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | '15 | '14 | '13 | '12 | '11 | '10 | '09 | '08 | '07 | '06 | Top 10s |
Pittsburgh | 5 | 6 | 21 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
Baltimore | 12 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
NY Jets | 3 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 29 | 24 | 6 |
San Francisco | 29 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 13T | 22 | 18 | 6 |
New England | 9 | 9 | 30 | 9 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
Chicago | 26 | 17 | 32 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 5 | 25 | 6 | 5 |
Dallas | 21 | 8 | 27 | 22 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 5 |
Minnesota | 17 | 25 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Cincinnati | 7 | 20 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 14 | 4 |
Denver | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 22 | 31 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 11 | 4 |
Houston | 10 | 10 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 23T | 19 | 19 | 4 |
Miami | 28 | 24 | 24 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 10 | 32 | 8 | 4 |
Philadelphia | 32 | 15 | 10 | 23 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 26 | 4 |
Seattle | 1 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 21 | 15 | 18 | 12 | 22 | 4 |
Arizona | 6 | 13 | 1 | 28 | 21 | 30 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 3 |
Atlanta | 13 | 21 | 31 | 21 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 25 | 26 | 20 | 3 |
Carolina | 4 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 10 | 3 |
NY Giants | 23 | 30 | 14 | 25 | 19 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 3 |
San Diego | 27 | 26 | 12 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 20 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 3 |
Washington | 25 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 18 | 26 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 27 | 3 |
Detroit | 18 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 32 | 23 | 21 | 2 |
Jacksonville | 15 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 9 | 22 | 19 | 13T | 11 | 4 | 2 |
Tennessee | 19 | 31 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 30 | 2 |
Green Bay | 22 | 23 | 25 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 1 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 1 |
Kansas City | 8 | 28 | 22 | 27 | 26 | 14 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 17 | 1 |
LA Rams | 20 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 31 | 17 | 27 | 29 | 20 | 31 | 1 |
Tampa Bay | 11 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 1 |
Buffalo | 16 | 11 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 0 |
Cleveland | 30 | 32 | 18 | 19 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 0 |
Indianapolis | 24 | 18 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 23T | 15 | 32 | 0 |
New Orleans | 31 | 29 | 19 | 32 | 12 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 23 | 0 |
Oakland | 14 | 22 | 13 | 18 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 25 | 0 |
--Andy Richardson