NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger is the latest to weigh in on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive communication breakdowns, which have been all too common during the team’s three-game losing streak. Isolating just one play of many, TE Travis Kelce got wide open for a 20-yard gain.
“This play bugs me. 2nd and 8, Steelers down 22-10…it looks like there’s some communication,” Baldinger said in a Saturday morning tweet. “Minkah’s the free safety. Here comes DeShon Elliott on a blitz. They’re in a man-to-man situation right here. Why is it that both linebackers are going after Kareem Hunt right there? And they leave Travis Kelce wide open.”
Baldinger was also critical of the team’s lack of effort in chasing Kelce down before Roberts finally tackled him from behind.
It was one of three receptions in which Kelce was left alone, including his 12-yard touchdown that officially salted the game away for the Chiefs. As Baldinger notes, the team appears to be communicating, pointing, and making a check before the snap, but the execution has been poor. Frustration has quickly set in.
Motion seems to be a common theme in communication breakdowns, whether on this snap or Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews’ touchdown one week ago. CB Cam Sutton and Fitzpatrick took the motion man and left Andrews open. LB Patrick Queen, Sutton, and Fitzpatrick have been the most common threads across these breakdowns, though confidently determining blame is difficult on plays that go so wrong, like the example above.
Coming off three games in 11 days, having the chance to hit the reset button could be important for the Steelers. Returning to a regular routine with actual practices instead of walkthroughs or condensed sessions has a better chance of ironing out a defense with plenty of issues. But these are issues Pittsburgh must clean up in a hurry, getting ready to face a high-powered Cincinnati Bengals’ offense and a playoff game the week after.
