The play that’s received the most attention from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 2 loss is Kaleb Johnson’s colossal blunder on a kickoff. However, that wasn’t the only reason why the Steelers lost. Unfortunately, their defense allowed the Seattle Seahawks to drive down the field and score another touchdown after that. The scoring play was an ugly one, with Kenneth Walker III getting loose for a 19-yard touchdown run on 3rd and goal. That iced the game, and Patrick Queen thinks he could’ve helped prevent it in hindsight.
“I could be a little closer to help,” Queen said Wednesday via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko on Twitter. “I could be probably on that hash before the ball snaps. I saw the tight end that they usually run to on the left side, so I was trying to get close to him, and they ended up running open. I think the biggest thing is on that play if I’m on that hash, I could help.”
It’s clear that Queen was trying to cheat a little bit on the play based on the Seahawks’ personnel. He lined up a little too far over, and by the time he recognized where the ball carrier was going, there was too much traffic for him to get through to make a play.
Run defense has arguably been the weakest part of the Steelers so far this year. They’ve allowed a running back to go over 100 yards in both games. Their inside linebacker play has been one of the biggest reasons for such struggles. Queen and Payton Wilson simply haven’t been good enough.
Both of them are fine players, but they’re better in coverage. They’ve had issues taking on blockers, allowing opponents to break free at the second level. This play is just another example of that.
Queen expanded on his thoughts on that play, agreeing that it was confusing how the Steelers got beaten so badly.
“At the end of the day, I should be there,” he said. “I gotta help, especially being the guy in the middle. I should for sure get over there and make that play.”
It’s good that Queen recognizes he made a mistake. The Seahawks game is over, and there’s no taking that touchdown off the board. What he can do is make sure that he’s in position to make that play next time. Teams will surely continue to test the Steelers’ run defense.
Queen didn’t make a major mistake, but football is a game of inches. While he wasn’t the only reason why the Seahawks scored on that play, his play didn’t help. The Steelers’ defense needs to be more physical, and Queen is supposed to be one of their better players. They need more from him going forward.
