Throughout their history, the Pittsburgh Steelers have only gone as far as their defense has taken them. They’ve had incredible offensive players, but when they’ve made championship runs, their defense has been the best part of their team. This season, it looked like the Steelers had a championship-caliber defense, but the past few weeks have not supported that. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is concerned about the Steelers’ defense going forward.
“Our passing defense makes me incredibly nervous, maybe not even nervous, scared,” Roethlisberger said Monday on his podcast, Footbahlin’ with Ben Roethlisberger. “If we can’t get pressure on the quarterback, I don’t know that we can cover on the backend. A lot of that’s due to injuries, but it just makes me so nervous in the passing game.”
Roethlisberger is right to be worried. It wasn’t just this most recent game where the Steelers’ secondary looked suspect. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, they allowed two different receivers to put up over 100 yards. They were healthier in that game, too. Coverage has been an issue in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers’ secondary will continue to be tested. This week, they’ll face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s unclear if some of their injured players will return, but Joey Porter Jr. probably won’t be ready to go. Without their number-one corner, the Steelers could be in some serious trouble.
It hasn’t just been coverage that’s been an issue for the Steelers, either. Tackling has been maybe an even bigger issue. Part of that is because they’ve been missing DeShon Elliott, arguably their best tackler. If Elliott returns this week, the Steelers’ defense could be stronger.
Injuries shouldn’t be used as an excuse, though. During this time of the year, everyone is dealing with injuries. The Steelers will need the next man to step up. They’re still extremely talented up front, and they’ll likely need their pass rushers to play at their absolute best.
Right now, it might seem like the Steelers are backed into a corner. Their offense has been sputtering, and their defense has been unreliable. If they continue to play like they have, they won’t survive in the playoffs. However, they still have an opportunity to bounce back. For most of this season, the Steelers’ defense was elite. They still have that potential within them.
