The Pittsburgh Steelers defense on paper, for the most part, is very good. They rank second in points, fourth in takeaways, ninth in yards, and second in the red zone. Altogether, that’s a big reason they are 6-2 at the break. That doesn’t stop the Steelers’ defenders and defensive coaches from walking around the facility beating themselves up, though.
Their latest gripe is their lapses on run defense on Monday night against the New York Giants. Against the 2-6 NFC East bottom feeders, they allowed a season-high 157 yards. That included a breakaway 45-yard touchdown by rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., which made it a one-score game. Steelers DC Teryl Austin summed up the unit’s collective feelings about that on Wednesday.
“We’re all disappointed”, he said, via the Steelers’ media relations department. “If you asked to a man, we weren’t happy with how we played Monday. But our guys figured out how to get the result we needed”.
While the Steelers struggled at times on defense during the game, they were able to close it out. Following a Russell Wilson lost fumble, T.J. Watt got the ball back with a forced fumble of his own. On the Giants’ final drive, rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr. nabbed his third interception in two games, which helped him win Defensive Rookie of the Month. The Steelers now have 14 takeaways on the year, the fourth-most in the NFL.
“The last two drives were turnovers and end the game. But in terms of totality and how we played, I don’t think there’s anybody in that room that would be satisfied”, Austin said about the defensive side of the Steelers’ locker room. “And I think that’s a good thing, because the minute you’re satisfied with how you play and what you do, then you’re gonna get passed up and you’re gonna get stagnant and you’re not gonna look to improve then. And our guys are looking to improve”.
In truth, as the season develops, we are finding that the Steelers may not be as dependent on their defense as originally expected. The offense is showing some genuine signs of life but has to keep it going. Over the past two games, the Steelers have averaged over 400 yards and 30 points. But can they sustain it against a harder back half of the schedule?
Despite the Steelers’ slapdash run defense against a bad team, they still rank in the top five across the board. They allow the fourth-fewest rushing yards at the fourth-lowest yards per attempt. Their four rushing touchdowns allowed ranks third.
But the Steelers played the game and watched the film, and we’ve seen it too. We know there is some ugly tape out there, and of course, they know, too. They want to make sure they get that cleaned up over the bye week because they know the challenges that lie ahead. It starts with the surprising Washington Commanders and concludes with the Baltimore Ravens.
