The Pittsburgh Steelers looked rough defensively to start the season. They got pushed around, struggling in all areas. However, more recently, they’ve been better. Week 4 saw their best effort yet, although they still faltered at times, and Ryan Clark highlighted linebacker Patrick Queen’s play after the Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings, 24-21.
“If you watch Steelers film, Patrick Queen’s improvement has been evident week by week,” Clark wrote Sunday on Twitter. “Took a jump in intensity, communication, and impact immediately in Week 2. Has only gotten better since. This was an important piece for them coming into this season.”
Queen had an active day against the Vikings, recording 11 tackles, a sack, and three tackles for loss. It was his most productive game of the season.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign was that Queen had fewer errors in Week 4. Before this game, he had been plagued by issues in the run and pass game. However, against the Vikings, Queen was more solid. Like Clark said, he looked more comfortable and made more plays.
That’s a big reason for the Steelers’ defensive improvements. Compare this week to Week 3. The Steelers struggled in third-and-long situations, with a lot of problems in the middle of the field. That’s usually Queen’s responsibility.
While the Vikings’ offense eventually got going, for the first three quarters of the game, it couldn’t do very much right. The Steelers got after Carson Wentz, which likely contributed to their success in coverage. Queen was helpful in both those areas. For the past few weeks, he’s had chances at getting a sack, but he’s missed. This week, that didn’t happen.
Hopefully, this is the beginning of Queen’s breakout with the Steelers. He was their big free agent signing last year. However, he had an underwhelming 2024 season. While Queen was fine overall, he didn’t play to the standard some expected him to.
Queen continuing on this upward trajectory would be great for the Steelers’ defense. It’s been a while since they’ve had a significant difference maker at middle linebacker. When the Steelers signed Queen, they hoped that he could fill that void for them. More performances like this one would build confidence in the Steelers’ ability to contend with the AFC’s best.
