PITTSBURGH - Sure, the defensive play-calling is much more aggressive, with a lot of blitzes and risk-taking. Numerous players are enjoying career years, from defensive end Aaron Smith to linebacker James Farrior to cornerback Deshea Townsend.

To linebacker Joey Porter, the reason for the turnaround in the Pittsburgh Steelers doesn't take much detective work to pinpoint. To him, it is the direct result of defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's remarks on the opening day of training camp.

LeBeau, the 67-year-old former Bengals coach, told his players that he didn't return to the job he held previously in the mid-1990s for the money, the prestige or the chance to be an NFL head coach again, but rather because he wanted to coach them.

Afterward, Porter couldn't wait to call friend and longtime teammate Jason Gildon, now of the Jaguars, to tell him what he had just heard.

"He shocked everybody," Porter said Wednesday. "He told us he came here because it would be a pleasure to coach us. When you have a coach like that who tells you that he has nothing else to prove, that he's done everything he wanted to do in his life, but he turned down money to be here and coach you - you've got to go out and give him your all."

The Steelers may be doing that, but they're certainly not giving their opponents much.

Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis are getting more publicity and more credit, but the Steelers' transformation from a going-nowhere 4-7 team a year ago to an AFC-leading 10-1 is largely the result of their improved defense.

They already have more sacks than they did all last season, and what was an average defense is now a very good one, allowing nearly 23½ yards fewer per game than any other team. They are one of only two teams to allow fewer than 1,000 yards rushing, and they are third in pass defense.

Porter wouldn't name names, but he suggested LeBeau's attitude and mindset are more conducive to playing successful defense than that of former coordinator Tim Lewis.

"It was to the point where the defense would get a call, and we're, 'Oh, why are we in that? Why do they want to do that now?'" Porter said. "Now, it's just call a defense and we're going to play it. It doesn't matter what you call, we have confidence to get the job done regardless."

LeBeau, of course, has a slightly different take on the Steelers' improvement.

"All of our guys can really run and move," he said.

Lewis became much less risky after the Steelers' secondary gave up a number of long pass completions late in the 2002 season and early in the 2003 season. Now, it's not just the coordinator who has changed since early last season, but three-quarters of the starting secondary.

"We gave up a lot of passes, the deep balls, so that makes any coordinator nervous," Porter said. "Where LeBeau is, we're not going to let one play dictate how we play this game."

Maybe that's why Porter isn't too worried Gildon will give away too many trade secrets before Sunday's Steelers-Jaguars game in Jacksonville. Gildon is the Steelers career sacks leader, but was released last spring so former backup Clark Haggans could start.

"I talked to him this week, and I told him not to be telling too much stuff about what we do," Porter said. "I know he's there telling it."

Still, the first congratulatory call Porter got after the Steelers ended New England's 21-game winning streak on Oct. 31 was from Gildon.

"He was excited for us to get that game. He felt like he was part of it because that hurt was still in his heart from when we lost that (AFC) championship game to New England (in January 2002)," Gildon said. "He just wanted to know if we beat them good."