The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense should be known for two things:
1. They create big plays.
2. They also give up big plays.
This live-by/die-by-the-sword mentality was on display in their 23-19 Week 10 win over the Green Bay Packers. Pittsburgh was plus-two in the turnover differential, picking off QB Jordan Love twice in the fourth quarter, including on the final play of the game. But the game came down to the final play in part because of defensive miscues. For a unit known as “bend but don’t break,” it broke a lot Sunday afternoon. Both touchdowns allowed came on third down, including a 35-yard score through the air, while the Packers routinely hit chunk plays throughout the game.
In total, the defense allowed four completions of 30-plus yards and allowed the Packers to get back into the game and nearly win it. Speaking to reporters after the game, T.J. Watt was happy with a win but knows the defense must perform better.
“We just need to clean up the splash,” Watt told reporters in his postgame press conference via Steelers.com. “Overall, I feel like we’re playing pretty well defensively. We need to clean up the three-and-outs obviously. And then just the splash. We’re creating negativity in early downs. It’s just when we get them behind the chains, it’s how do we close out drives? I’m sure that’s gonna be a point of emphasis this week.”
That splash bookended the game. In the first quarter, the Steelers allowed touchdowns on 3rd and 7 and 3rd and 16 as their secondary was exposed.
In the fourth quarter, the Packers ripped off chunk plays to rookie TE Luke Musgrave and rookie WR Jayden Reed, keeping the game close and nearly pulling off the win. It took until the final play of the game to cinch the win, S Damontae Kazee picking off Packers QB Jordan Love as the clock rolled to zeros.
Coming into the game, Pittsburgh had allowed the third-most plays of 20-plus yards this season. After this game, that ranking isn’t going to look any better.
Obviously, injuries are taking their toll. FS Minkah Fitzpatrick has been hurt since the first quarter of Week Eight while communication has been stressed by his absence along with injuries suffered by LBs Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander, both of whom are out for the season. And Pittsburgh’s secondary is slower and older. Aside from CB Joey Porter Jr., it’s a group whose age hovers around 30. Patrick Peterson (who played well Sunday, to his credit), Damontae Kazee, Keanu Neal, and Levi Wallace aren’t space/cover players. That must be addressed in the offseason but in mid-November, it’s a hard problem to solve.
With playmaking and improved run defense, if the Steelers can simply find a way to reduce the number of splash plays allowed, they’ll have a great defense. Of course, that’s far easier said than done. But if they want to be more than just a playoff contender, if they want to win their first postseason game since 2016, they’ll have to take on a high-powered offense and slow them down.
