The most talked about acquisition the Pittsburgh Steelers made this offseason was one of their new quarterbacks, but the additions they made on defense were just as important. Patrick Queen received a huge contract from the Steelers, and there’s hope he can be their quarterback on defense.
Appearing on 102.5 WDVE on Friday, Queen was asked how he feels about the Steelers’ defense.
“I think whatever goals that we want to attain, we can reach with the guys that we got,” Queen said. “I don’t think we’re missing anything. I don’t think we’re slacking anywhere. I think everybody is in here capable of being a great player.
“If we just all do our job to the best of our ability, one player at a time, every single player, just take a deep breath and go at it again and go at it again and just try to take the opponent’s will, I think we could achieve whatever we want.”
Queen was part of an extraordinary defense with the Baltimore Ravens last year, so he’s familiar with amazing defensive units. The Steelers do have all the pieces to succeed as well. Their pass rush might be their greatest strength, they have ball hawks in the secondary and with Queen, they now have someone who can lead the middle of the defense.
That doesn’t mean the Steelers’ defense is perfect. Corner is still a weak spot for them. Beanie Bishop Jr. is an undrafted rookie, and he’s their starting nickel corner. Their depth isn’t great there either, especially with Cam Sutton suspended for the first half of the season. Behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson, there really isn’t a proven veteran in that room.
Perhaps one of the young players will step up though. At the very least, Queen seems more than comfortable with the starting unit. They have the star power to be great. T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Queen are some of the best defenders in the league. With them forming its core, this defense should be stellar.
We’ll see if Queen and the rest of the defense can take the Falcons’ will this Sunday. It’s going to be a nice test for them because the Falcons have their own set of stars on offense. Queen believes the Steelers’ defense can achieve any goal, and for this week, that should mean clipping the Falcons’ wings.
