Fans and media alike expected big things from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense in 2025. They returned All-Pro talents in OLB T.J. Watt and DT Cam Heyward. Then they added veteran help in the secondary with cornerbacks Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey. They also added to their defensive line in the draft with Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black.
Even the team felt quite good about how this defense could be. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that with the pieces the Steelers have, they could do “historic things”.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, through two weeks, the only talk about history and the defense is how historically bad it’s been. And for former Steelers DL Chris Hoke, he’s not too surprised by the fact that the defense hasn’t come together yet.
“That’s the problem with talking,” Hoke said Sunday night on KDKA Nightly Sports Call. “When you start talking about historic defenses, elite defenses, no one was talking about young fellas on the defensive line. No one was talking about a young starter at that inside linebacker spot in Payton Wilson, guys that [need] time to grow up and take their lumps and learn from them. They will be good players, I believe, down the road.
“But they were talking about the Jalen Ramseys, the Cam Heywards, the T.J. Watts, all of these players that are All-Pro players. They haven’t been playing at an All-Pro level yet. T.J. Watt hasn’t had a sack this year yet. He’s got to get going. Cam Heyward’s got to heat up. Some of these players – Jalen Ramsey’s got to tighten up that coverage – they know that. I’m not saying anything they don’t know right now. Everybody’s got to elevate their game from top to bottom.”
Any way you look at the numbers, the Steelers’ defense has been bad through two weeks. They’ve given up 300 rushing yards through two games and nearly 800 yards of total offense. They’ve also allowed 63 points, fourth-most in the league.
The Steelers have the highest-paid defense in the league. Even if they aren’t the best defense in the league, these are embarrassing numbers they’re giving up. Yes, they have young players in key places. It does take time for them to be ready to play at a high level, as Hoke says. And we have yet to see Harmon play in a regular-season game as he recovers from an injury suffered in the preseason.
But as Hoke also says, the veteran players are largely not making impact plays. Heyward did have a tipped pass that was intercepted by OLB Nick Herbig against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Ramsey had his first interception as a Steeler against the Seahawks. He also had the key pass breakup on a big hit against WR Garrett Wilson and the New York Jets to secure a Steelers win in Week 1.
But the defensive line and linebackers have struggled to stop the run. Ramsey got burned against the Seahawks. And the defense overall has struggled to defend simple concepts through the first two games.
This should not be a problem that plagues the Steelers all season long. The Steelers are too talented for this defense to be this bad over the course of 17 weeks. But this is a disappointment, for sure. And it reflects poorly on both the players and the coaches.
