The Steelers were shredded by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots offense in Sunday's 33-3 loss in front of a national audience. Now, with another tough test looming, Pittsburgh's defense is working to make sure that does not happen again.
But the challenge is different.
Instead of Tom Brady's meticulous and calculated attack, it will be Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks trying to again exploit the Steelers and, as they describe it, their communication issues that led to the humbling opening game defeat. Wilson will likely attempt to do so in a disparate way than Brady, using his legs to open up passing and running lanes.
"His mobility is crazy," Pittsburgh defensive end Cam Heyward said of Wilson. "The thing that starts with both (New England and Seattle) is their running game. And you'd be stupid to think otherwise. We've got to do a better job of stopping the run. Russell is a great challenge."
"Always expect the unexpected with Russ," cornerback Mike Hilton added. "He's a guy that likes to get outside the pocket and freelance. He's got guys that can make plays for him down the field. We know that, on the back end, we've got to make sure we stick to our guys a couple more seconds than the normal."
The Steelers have faced Wilson just once in his career, a 39-30 Seahawks win, in a 2015 game in Seattle. Wilson was 21 of 30 passing for 345 yards and five touchdowns. He was not intercepted.
"Russell will hold the ball and try to make plays," Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. "I don't know if he does it as much as he used to. I see him keep the ball in crucial times. I don't see him do it all the time.
"He still throws the ball well. He does all that stuff well and they have a good football team. It's going to be a challenge to beat them here."
Improving the communication problems from Sunday will be the chief concern for Pittsburgh.
"We know we're a quick defense," linebacker T.J. Watt said. "We know we can play fast and at an elite level. It's just a matter of all being on the same page."
Wilson was accurate, but not overly spectacular in Seattle's 21-20 win over Cincinnati in week one. He passed for 196 yards and two touchdowns, completing 70 percent of his attempts. He was held in check in the run game though, rushing just four times for eight yards.
"Number one, we've got to stop them from freaking running the ball," Butler said. "Number two, we've got to be effective when they try to go play-action. How effective they are in play-action determines how well they run the football."
"It's just a matter of not letting him escape the pocket and knowing what kind of risks you can and can't take as a pass rusher," Watt added.
"Once he gets on the edge he's very quick and very smart with the ball. If he's got a passing lane, he'll take the pass. Otherwise he'll run for ten yards, easy."
To a man, Pittsburgh is convinced that what happened in Foxborough is an outlier and that the defense is on the right track. It seems to be the right mindset to take, especially with such a strong opponent coming to town.
"It just all revolves around us," linebacker Bud Dupree said. "We've got to go out and execute the game plan that we have and execute it to the best ability we have. At the end of the day, it's about us first."
Hear more from Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler below.
