Members of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense talked a big game in training camp, with one even stating it could be the best of all-time. Head coach Mike Tomlin said it had the chance to be historic.
Two weeks into the season, they’re historic, alright.
Historically overrated and underperforming.
Sunday in their home opener at Acrisure Stadium in the home opener, the Steelers once again struggled to stop the run, generated very little pressure on quarterback Sam Darnold, and had no answers defensively in a 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Granted, seven points came off rookie running back Kaleb Johnson’s special teams blunder that changed the game entirely. But to that point the Steelers hadn’t consistently stopped the run with Kenneth Walker III or slow down the passing game with Darnold and star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
For former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, the Steelers’ early-season defensive performances have been disgraceful.
“Where the heck’s the defense?” Ryan asked Monday morning on Get Up. “I think the biggest problem is their defense right now.”
That’s putting it mildly.
The Steelers were built around a star-studded defense that was expected to put a clamp on teams, keep games low-scoring and allow an offense led by 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers to do just enough early to win games as everyone jelled. Instead, the defense hasn’t been able to stop much of anything, putting a great deal of pressure on Rodgers and the offense — which is working through its own issues — to carry the load and try to win shootouts.
It worked in Week 1. In Week 2, it came crashing down to earth and things looked very, very ugly.
“It’s not realistic. There’s no chance of it. He’s supposed to be a piece, not the guy,” Ryan added regarding Rodgers and the Steelers. “And to me, their defense is supposed to be carrying this football team, and they’ve been…they’ve been atrocious these first two weeks. They really have.”
The defense has been atrocious. There’s no denying that.
The Steelers allowed 182 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Jets in the season opener. On Sunday, the Seahawks rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.0 yards on 29 carries. The backbreaker was Walker’s 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on 3rd and goal in which he was barely even touched.
That play was a microcosm of the Steelers’ issues defensively. How it gets better is anyone’s guess. Former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke believes a mentality change is needed, while current players like T.J. Watt and Payton Wilson are growing frustrated but still believe it’s just attention to details.
Whatever it is, it needs fixed — and fast. There’s too much talent and far too much money dumped into the defense for that group to look like this two weeks into the season.
