How concerning are the Steelers’ blown fourth-quarter leads by the defense?
The Steelers defense started on fire, particularly late in games. They were the top-ranked scoring defense, for example, and allowed a total of six second-half points through three weeks. In the rare instances since then that they’ve had to blow a fourth-quarter lead, however, they typically do. Or they come rather close.
Most of the Steelers’ games have seen them have comfortable leads in the fourth quarter. At times, the defense gives up a cushion that makes it look closer, like the Giants game. But the Steelers have now blown three fourth-quarter leads, including twice in one game. And they very nearly had a fourth time against the Baltimore Ravens.
The most recent blown lead came last Thursday, of course, against the Cleveland Browns. Taking the lead with six minutes to play, the defense came out with what could have been a clinching interception if only the offense could close out the game with four minutes to go. A shanked punt didn’t help, either.
In the most recent case, the Steelers put the defense in a bad position, up by one with the opposing offense nearly in field goal range. But they did fail spectacularly, ultimately allowing a touchdown and multiple possession-down conversions. And the Browns, again, were down by one, and didn’t need to convert.
The game prior, the Steelers defense allowed the Baltimore Ravens to come back and score a touchdown with a minute to spare. Up eight, they did succeed in defending the two-point conversion attempt. But that was partially thanks to a shrewd timeout by Mike Tomlin that forced the Ravens to pivot.
Of course, the Ravens didn’t tie the game or take the lead, so that doesn’t go down as a blown lead. The Steelers defense allowed the Cowboys to take the fourth-quarter lead twice, however. They even forced a fumble near the goal line but could not recover.
At other times, the defense does what it needs to. The Steelers shut down the Commanders in the fourth quarter. They closed out the Giants game with multiple turnovers in the final few minutes. And no unit is perfect. But the Steelers aspire to have the best defense in the league. Are we expecting too much, or are they not holding up their end of the bargain? Is it unreasonable to expect to preserve every fourth-quarter lead—especially when the other units don’t help?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
