The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense didn’t live up to its own standard in Week 1. While they have a lot of talent, it didn’t help them play well against the New York Jets. The Jets did whatever they wanted for most of the game, especially running the ball. The Steelers’ defense stepped up to end the game, helping the team get the win, but afterwards, Patrick Queen still wasn’t happy. He was upset with the defense’s performance, and now, a few days after the game, he’s still bothered by their ugly showing.
“The offense just had their way with us,” Queen said on Wednesday on The Jim Rome Show. “An AFC North team, that’s never supposed to be the case, no matter what it is. There’s no excuse for that. And that’s just me being a football player, me loving the game, me loving defense.
“You can never have a game like that where an opponent rushes for over 100 yards, passing game had their way, every single thing had their way. After the game, everybody was excited, and I’m just at the point where I’m still pissed off because it’s not supposed to go that way. You’re not supposed to let people have their way.”
Against the Steelers, the Jets posted 182 rushing yards as a team. Starting running back Breece Hall put up 107 yards by himself, averaging over five yards per carry. That helped open up things for them throwing the ball. Justin Fields completed 16 of his 22 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown. He didn’t face much pressure throughout the game, only getting sacked once.
Considering all the assets invested in their defense, the Steelers can’t be happy with that performance. They look like they finally have a decent quarterback, but now, they’ve got to be worried about their defense holding up.
However, there are some reasons for optimism. Firstly, it’s only Week 1. There’s no reason to panic yet. Some of the Steelers’ key pieces didn’t play during the preseason. They might need some time to get on the same page. There’s reason to believe that they could be better going forward.
Also, the Steelers’ defense was much better at the end of that game. They stood tall over the Jets on their final two drives, which were key moments. That might’ve been a sign that they’re getting back on track.
This week, the Steelers are set to play the Seattle Seahawks. We’ll see if their defense can post a better showing. Queen sounds determined to make that happen. Hopefully, that attitude shows up on the field.
