Throughout this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been defined by their defense. Over the past few weeks, that unit has been far less reliable. They haven’t been perfect, but some of their recent issues are concerning. Specifically, they’ve missed double-digit tackles in each of the past two games. That’s unacceptable for the standard this defense holds themselves to. Cam Heyward is attributing that issue to players, including himself, overextending themselves.
“Being accountable and being in the right spots,” Heyward said Monday via Steelers Live on Twitter. “Half the missed tackles is just us out of our gaps or guys just trying to do too much. If you’re in the vicinity of where you need to be, there’s less chance for that error. Gotta clean that up, gotta get back to playing our ball. I’m looking forward to doing that.”
That’s a fair explanation and one that makes some sense. The Steelers have had tackling issues at certain points during this season, but nothing to this extent. Considering that they’ve been in tight games against better competition recently, it’s plausible that players are trying to create an impact play rather than just sticking with the fundamentals.
At many points during this season, the Steelers’ defense has come up with game-changing turnovers. They actually lead the NFL in turnovers forced. However, they’ve also relied on everyone playing like a complete unit. Multiple players have echoed the idea that they don’t want any independent contractors.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make a play, but that can be just as costly as it is rewarding. The Steelers’ defense is talented enough to force turnovers naturally, and that’s happened more than enough times this season.
To be clear, Heyward isn’t pointing the finger at anyone in particular. During that same media session, he used himself as an example of what players shouldn’t be doing.
“If you watch our last game in particular, especially early on, I think we, myself, I was playing too many blocks and trying to do too much. But this defense is made on everybody just doing their job.”
Even though he’s been one of their best players, Heyward is an even better leader. He isn’t running from any criticism. Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry did gash the Steelers last week, and there were more than enough missed tackle attempts on him.
This week, the Steelers will need to limit their missed tackles if they want any chance at winning. The Kansas City Chiefs may not be the offensive juggernaut they usually are, but they still aren’t short on playmakers. Speedy wide receiver Xavier Worthy and tough running back Isiah Pacheco will test the Steelers’ tackling abilities.
If the Steelers can clean up their sloppy play, they could get back on track to winning their division. With any luck, they’ll receive more good news on the health of some of their players. Getting guys like DeShon Elliott and Larry Ogunjobi back should help the defense.
