Cam Heyward’s response to Trey Wingo weighing in about the “sack versus pressure” debate was an interesting and refreshing discussion. So let’s put it to the test. Using the defensive charting we do each week, we can examine the differences in quarterbacks being pressured versus when they aren’t.
Below is a table showing quarterback production when the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 defense did and did not generate pressure, as defined by our charting. This includes the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Steelers’ Defense 2023 Pressure Data
| Stat | Pressure | No Pressure |
|---|---|---|
| Completion Percentage | 46.8% | 67.2% |
| YPA | 5.2 | 7.9 |
| TDs | 4 | 21 |
| INTs | 6 | 10 |
| QB Rating | 55.1 | 97.2 |
The difference is obvious and stark. While under pressure, quarterbacks’ completion rates drop by more than 20 percent, their YPA dips by nearly three yards, they throw more interceptions than touchdowns. Above all, their QB rating tanks by 42 points.
Pressure is effective. That much is clear.
Still, there’s more nuance to the conversation. Heyward’s point – to be clear – wasn’t that pressure is irrelevant. He knows, and it’s intuitive to any football fan, that pressure matters. The question that started the entire debate wasn’t pressure versus no pressure. The question was pressure versus sacks.
From that lens, I understand Heyward’s point. Pressure can be effective but it’s no guarantee. Now maybe more than ever, pressure doesn’t always get the job done. In an era where nearly every quarterback has some measure of mobility, including high-end scramblers and play extenders, some can thrive under pressure. The sitting duck pocket passer? Not so much.
Below are the four touchdowns that quarterbacks threw against the Steelers while facing pressure.
What’s interesting is those scores came from the pocket. Not a lot of running around but quarterbacks standing tall and delivering. It came versus pressure off the edge, from the middle, and against free rushers.
So what’s the answer? I think the argument is talking past each other. If given the choice in a vacuum, pressure or sack, everyone would take Heyward’s choice of a sack. It’s a play with a defined, negative outcome. But pressure obviously has its worth and value. In quantity alone, you’ll get many more of them than you will sacks, the chance to impact the quarterback more often. And the numbers show it works.
In that sense, there’s no wrong answer. They’re both right. It just depends on how the conversation is framed. I don’t want to sound like a fence sitter, I’m usually taking one side or another, but it’s hard to land in one camp with this debate.
