The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense ended 2024 on a down note. Over the last few weeks of the season, they struggled mightily, getting gashed on the ground and allowing big plays through the air. Many of their issues seemed to stem from poor communication. Players continued to express that as a problem, but it never seemed to get resolved. Going into training camp this year, Payton Wilson expressed that not allowing that problem to continue to weigh them down is one of the Steelers’ main priorities.
“Communication,” Wilson said Thursday via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s YouTube channel. “Last year, towards the end of the year, we kind of, not fell off, but struggled some with communication and assignments a little bit.
“So, pre-snap, making sure that we’re communicating. At the end of the day, we’re gonna play hard here, but we have to execute as well. We can’t just run around and try to kill people. We have to know our assignments, know where we’re supposed to be, and execute.”
The Steelers’ problems on defense seemed to snowball as their losses mounted up. For most of the year, that unit was as solid as ever. They had issues at times, but for the most part, they were playing well. However, things took a turn for the worse starting in Week 15.
Against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers’ defense started out hot, forcing a turnover, but they quickly fell off. They allowed A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to both record over 100 receiving yards, with explosive kills crushing their hopes at victory.
After that, things only got worse. They followed up that poor performance with an even uglier showing against the Baltimore Ravens. Derrick Henry ran through them in a game that foreshadowed the Steelers’ postseason game. Then, they didn’t have a chance against the Kansas City Chiefs, really starting to break down.
The Steelers’ defense looked a little better in Week 18, but they still allowed Ja’Marr Chase to have a big day. Going into the playoffs, it felt like the Steelers’ defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed, and that proved to be true in their third matchup against the Ravens that season.
As training camp begins, the Steelers hope to eliminate that problem before it appears this year. However, that might be easier said than done. They’ve got a lot of new pieces on defense, and getting everyone on the same page might be a little trickier than it was last year, especially with the loss of Minkah Fitzpatrick, one of Pittsburgh’s key communicators.
If the Steelers want to be Super Bowl contenders, they’ll need their defense to play up to its potential. On paper, they look like one of the best units in the league. However, they need to work as one cohesive unit in order to succeed. Communication can’t be as big of an issue this year as it was last year.
