Though the Pittsburgh Steelers made big strides to force five turnovers, stop the run and hold the New England Patriots to 14 points, there’s still one glaring area to work on. Possession downs didn’t work in the defense’s favor in this game. At least, not until the final one. Looking for ways to keep building, Steelers’ players offered explanations for their struggles post-game.
“I think sometimes we were not paying attention to our assignments,” DL Cam Heyward said postgame via the team’s official website. “Sometimes you can get a little thirsty in there and think, oh, it’s just gonna be a sneak or two. But then, on the flip side it can make you susceptible to big passes. We gotta have our eyes in the right places. This is something we can learn from.”
New England finished the day 6-of-13 on third down and 4-of-5 on fourth down. Combined, that’s 10-of-18 on possession downs, a strong 55 percent rate. Most teams run sneaks or Tush Pushes in short-yardage, but the Patriots came into the game showing a willingness to get the ball on the perimeter.
They did the same to Pittsburgh, running a speed option where QB Drake Maye pitched the ball to RB Rhamondre Stevenson. Linebacker Cole Holcomb was in position to make the tackle but slipped and fell, allowing Stevenson to convert. Had the Patriots been stopped, the Steelers would’ve taken over deep in New England territory.
Maye tied the game by finding TE Hunter Henry wide open over the middle for an easy score.
Pittsburgh overlapped its zone coverage, harkening on Heyward’s comments of players not doing their job. It left Henry running free down the middle for the score. The Steelers struggles against tight ends continue, allowing Henry and backup Austin Hooper to combine for 10 catches, 118 yards and two scores.
“It’s just a matter of working together,” T.J. Watt said on the KDKA post-game show. “Rush and coverage has to work together and we need to get home. I thought the guys in the back end did a good job of covering to allow us to be able to get to those quarterbacks, especially in some Max Pro situations. Especially at the end there. But we gotta do better.”
But Pittsburgh got the stop it absolutely needed. New CB Brandin Echols tackled WR Demario Douglas just shy of the sticks on fourth down with the Patriots on the Steelers’ 28. Like Week One, the defense rose to the occasion when needed with key stops on the goal line and the final meaningful play of the game.
