Like the rest of their defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebackers had some high expectations coming into the season. Patrick Queen was expected to take a step forward after a somewhat rough first season in the Black and Gold. Payton Wilson got his chance as a full-time starter after Elandon Roberts left this offseason in free agency.
Yet, like the rest of the unit, there’s been some struggles. Wilson looked better in the Steelers’ win last Sunday, but NFL.com’s Kevin Patra still isn’t a believer in the group. In a piece posted Wednesday, Patra named linebacker as Pittsburgh’s biggest need.
“Aside from Payton Wilson‘s stellar appearance in Dublin, he has struggled in coverage, with his passer rating allowed as the nearest defender (130.4) counting as the sixth-highest among linebackers with 100-plus coverage snaps this season, per Next Gen Stats,” Patra wrote. “We’re not yet at the panic point with the Steelers’ defense, coming off a six-sack performance against the Vikings, but as of now, I lean toward Pittsburgh adding on defense over continuing to seek WR2s.”
The hype Wilson received partly came from himself. He labeled himself as potentially the best cover linebacker in the world this offseason but hasn’t quite lived up to it yet. Patra notes his poor passer rating allowed, and that’s off him giving up 15 completions on the 16 passes that have gone his way. He’s still racking up tackles, with 35 through the first four weeks. But he’d also probably be the first to tell you that he and the entire defense haven’t been good enough against the run.
Queen hasn’t been much better. Against the pass, he’s allowed 14 completions on 18 attempts, a 116.0 passer rating allowed. He’s got 35 tackles as well but just hasn’t been quite good enough in his second season as a Steeler.
The Steelers have gotten a little help from Cole Holcomb, who’s made some big plays when needed. He started over Wilson in Week 3, and made an instant impact, forcing a fumble. But the linebacker position has still been frustrating in general for the Steelers. On one hand, they should have the talent to be set at this position. On the other, it’s not translating on the field yet.
It should be noted that Pittsburgh’s defensive issues stem far from just at linebacker. The whole unit needs to play better in general, and CBS Sports notes this week that the safety position is a major need as well.
That said, things could be coming around. Both Wilson and Queen looked much better against Minnesota last week, and were key in the Steelers’ win. It may be fool’s gold, but the tide could be turning for this group. The Nov. 4 trade deadline is a month away. This could be a position to monitor for the Steelers if things don’t improve.
