Coming off a win against the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers came up short against the Cincinnati Bengals. They lost 33-31 in what looked like a very winnable game. The Bengals had previously lost their last four games, and it looked like their season was spiraling. However, the Steelers disappointed on a short week. Their defense was especially frustrating. That unit got pushed around all game, and T.J. Watt knows the performance wasn’t good enough.
“Seemed like everything,” Watt said after the game of what was going wrong for the Steelers’ defense via the team’s YouTube channel. “It was an absolutely unacceptable performance from us on the defensive side of the ball.”
Coming into this season, the Steelers believed that they’d have one of the best defenses in the league. On paper, it looks talented. However, the Steelers’ defense underwhelmed to start the year. It looked like one of the worst groups in the league, rather than one of the best.
In recent weeks, the Steelers’ defense looked like it was turning things around. It was starting to play up to its potential. Unfortunately, many of the same problems that plagued that group earlier in the year showed up against the Bengals.
The Steelers allowed 470 yards of total offense. That includes letting the Bengals, who had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league, to rush for almost 150 yards. The Steelers’ run defense has been a problem going back to last year. Despite being better in their last two wins, it clearly isn’t fixed yet.
Also, Joe Flacco became the Bengals’ starting quarterback not even two weeks ago, and he picked the Steelers apart. He completed 31 of his 47 passes for 342 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Flacco is 40 years old, close to the end of his career, and he hasn’t been a consistent starter in years. Add in that he’s still new to the Bengals, and the Steelers’ defense looks even worse for how it played.
Going into this game, the Steelers spoke about how they added pieces to their secondary in order to matchup against high-powered offenses like the Bengals. However, they instead wilted in the face of the Bengals’ playmakers. Ja’Marr Chase had 16 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown, and Tee Higgins had six catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.
Overall, the Steelers’ defense is back to the drawing board. Things looked ugly to start the season, and after a brief resurgence, it’s clear that group still has a lot it needs to work on. The Steelers are set to face more explosive offenses throughout the rest of the season. If they want to win those matchups, their defense can’t have another performance like this.
