After allowing Joe Flacco to throw for 342 yards and three touchdowns and a historically bad run game to rush for more than 100 yards for the first time all season in the Thursday Night Football loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is under fire.
There are a lot of questions the Steelers’ highly paid defense needs to answer after that poor performance. But the one big question that seems to be surrounding the Steelers, particularly on defense, is if GM Omar Khan is going to add another piece to the mix at the trade deadline.
Considering there were a lot of expectations surrounding the defense entering the season, and that the Steelers have allowed 30+ points three times in six games, some reinforcements could be needed.
For the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers won’t be adding anyone defensively, especially in a market that is expected to be quiet. Appearing on the 102.5 WDVE Morning Show Monday, Dulac shot down any speculation about a big defensive playing being added to the fold.
“I think they have the guys that, barring an injury, I think they feel they have the guys they want to go with,” Dulac said of the Steelers potentially adding someone defensively via trade or signing, according to audio via DVE. “They have their two young linemen, they like the guys in the secondary. They brought in so many guys, they revamped that entire secondary. They’re not gonna change it just based on one game. They’ll just change what they do a little bit.
“But again, it was alarming because they matched up on those guys and it just didn’t work. But no, I don’t expect them to make any moves, barring an injury, defensively at all.”
Much of what the Steelers did this offseason in the secondary — signing Darius Slay and Brandin Echols, and trading for Jalen Ramsey — was designed at cleaning up communication issues, and allowing them match with whoever they wanted to in man coverage.Â
Of course, the Bengals were the central component of that secondary reshape as Pittsburgh wanted to find a way to deal with the two star receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. After those moves were made, the Steelers felt confident they could cover both of them, not to mention plenty of other great wide receivers.
But on Thursday Night Football, they had no shot covering Chase and Higgins, who combined for 22 receptions for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Now, alarm bells are sounding for the Steelers’ defense. But Dulac doesn’t see any outside piece added defensively at this point.
Where he could see a move happen is on offense, particularly at receiver. Just don’t expect it to be a splash move.
“I think if you see them go get a wide receiver, it’s gonna be the equivalent of Mike Williams, what they did last year,” Dulac added of the Steelers’ potential trade deadline plan. “And now again, barring injury. If something would happen to DK Metcalf now it’s a whole ‘nother ball game. I don’t know that they’re actively pursuing it, but I can tell you, they’re always looking.
“But I don’t think they’re ready to push any kind of button to say we need to go get a second wide receiver, number two wide receiver because you’re seeing what they’re doing with all their different tight ends.”
The Steelers have needed a true No. 2 wide receiver for a few years now under Khan. They have been in the market over and over again, and that includes adding Mike Williams last season at the trade deadline. Of course, Williams caught the game-winning touchdown against the Washington Commanders early in his Steelers tenure. After that though, he faded down the stretch and was largely a non-factor.Â
Now, he’s retired.
Could the Steelers go that route again with a veteran? Someone like a Tyler Lockett? That’s possible. But that wouldn’t exactly solve things at receiver. They might not need it though, considering the weapons they have at tight end and how they’re utilizing them in recent weeks.
