The Seattle Seahawks spoiled the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home opener, beating them 31-17. It was an ugly game for the Steelers. While they won in Week 1, they looked anything but a juggernaut. In Week 2, their flaws were more noticeable, and that cost them. Their defense in particular has had a brutal start to this season, getting gashed in back-to-back weeks.
“It’s upsetting,” LB Patrick Queen said after the game via 93.7 The Fan on Twitter. “I don’t like people having their way. We did that again today, we let them have their way. I can’t wait to get back to work. It’s a long season. This season can turn real quick for us.”
Following the Steelers’ Week 1 win, Queen expressed his displeasure at the defense’s performance. This week, little changed unfortunately. The Seahawks scored 31 points, and that follows the New York Jets putting up 32 points on the Steelers’ defense. There are plenty of reasons for Queen to be upset.
However, he’s correct that there’s still a lot of time left for them to turn things around. Right now, that looks like wishful thinking, but they’ve got the talent to do it. The Steelers have the most expensive defense in the league, loaded with stars. They made some plays against the Seahawks, and can look at the Baltimore Ravens, of all teams, for further encouragement.
For most of the 2024 season, the Ravens had one of the worst defenses in the league. Specifically, their pass defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed. However, down the stretch, they made some changes, and that unit became one of the league’s best.
Could the Steelers’ defense experience a similar transformation? Maybe, but it’s probably going to take some time. They’re dealing with several notable injuries at the moment, which isn’t helping matters.
Hopefully, these first two weeks help the Steelers identify their weaknesses. Other teams will likely be keying on them. If they want to make the playoffs, and actually win a postseason game, their defense will have to play better. At the moment, their offense doesn’t look good enough to carry them every week.
