Several of the new additions for the Pittsburgh Steelers have shined through two games so far. DeShon Elliott, Donte Jackson, and Justin Fields are just a few examples of new Steelers who have played well. However, their most expensive free agent, Patrick Queen, hasn’t flashed as much so far. He hasn’t been awful, but some people believe he hasn’t lived up to his contract so far. Queen has a few ideas of what he and the defense can do better, though.
“I think run game there’s a few little slips,” Queen said Wednesday via the team’s YouTube channel. “I think pass game, me personally, just not trying to take [people’s] head off every single play. Trying to calm that down, get back to my old ways.”
Queen has had a few missed tackles this year, and while that doesn’t make him a bad player, it is surprising to see, considering the quality of player he has been. It sounds like he’s just been trying to do too much, though. That makes sense, considering he’s with a brand-new team. It’s a new environment, and he’s probably just trying to make an impact.
Every hit doesn’t need to be a kill shot, though. If Queen can make routine plays routinely, he’ll be worth every penny of his contract. He probably just needs to settle in and get adjusted. Now that the nerves of the first few games are out of the way, perhaps Queen will look calmer.
The Steelers’ defense has also been fantastic to start the season, and Queen is part of that. Granted, much of that defensive success can be attributed to the Steelers defensive line, but Queen has still been good. He was an All-Pro last year, and hopefully, he will return to that form soon.
With the Steelers playing the Los Angeles Chargers this week, Queen should have ample opportunities to prove how good he is. The Chargers have been a run-heavy team, meaning Queen should be active throughout the game. They also have several former Baltimore Ravens in among their players and coaches, which Queen should be very familiar with. We’ll see if he can play more controlled against them.
