There’s a lot to not like about the Pittsburgh Steelers after their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. After losing their last four games of the season, there aren’t many positive takeaways. However, maybe not everything is terrible. The Steelers’ defense wasn’t perfect, but they looked more like themselves than they have at any other point during this losing streak. Miscommunication wasn’t as apparent with them, which is a nice step forward. Cam Heyward sounds pleased with the Steelers’ response to that issue this week.
“Yeah, I thought, from a communication standpoint on defense, a lot of guys took ownership over it, and over-communicate with that,” Heyward said after the game via the team’s YouTube channel. “Week in and week out, you’re gonna be tested.
“Different things happen, but I like how, as things progressed in the game, we adjust, we correct. You’re not always gonna be perfect, but I thought we made some adjustments.”
It might be frustrating to hear so soon after the loss, but Heyward is right to be happy about this development. Those communication issues were seriously concerning. The Steelers’ defense was letting opponents run around wide open, and it was killing them.
It’s not like the Bengals are short on offensive firepower, either. They provided a good test for the Steelers’ defense, and for the most part, the results were good. Early on, things were ugly, with the Bengals easily driving down to score a touchdown. However, after that, the Steelers held them out of the endzone. That’s something to be proud of.
The Steelers’ defense also got back to forcing turnovers. They still had rotten luck when it came to falling on loose balls, but they did manage to pick off Joe Burrow once. Unfortunately, the Steelers’ offense just couldn’t capitalize on that opportunity.
There were still some things to be irritated about with the Steelers’ defense. Maybe the biggest example is how they were virtually leaving inexperienced Cory Trice Jr. on an island against Ja’Marr Chase, arguably the best receiver in the league. That seems foolish, but that was more a flaw in their gameplan, rather than their communication.
Once Bengals receiver Tee Higgins left the game with an injury, Joey Porter Jr. seemed to handle the responsibility of Chase more. That’s probably part of why the Steelers had more success later in the game, but it was a smart adjustment.
It’s fair to be pessimistic about the Steelers going into the playoffs. They don’t exactly look like a contender. However, their defense seems to be heading in the right direction. Maybe that means they won’t get totally obliterated in the first round of the postseason.
