PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The talk all week from the Steelers defense was about correcting mistakes. As TJ Watt said they feel confident coming into every game, but once again the defense struggled as they drop to 1-1 following a 31-17 loss to the Seahawks.
Even in the win over the Jets, they knew they had to improve giving up 394 total yards and 32 points to a New York team that scored only 10 points and 154 total yards against the Bills Sunday. Against Seattle 395 yards and 31 points (seven were a gift from a special teams mistake).
Sam Darnold, who was 16 of 23 for 153 yards last week, was 22 of 33 for 295 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Kenneth Walker ran only 13 times for 105 yards and a 19-yard score on 3rd and 19. Walker ran 10 times last week for 20 yards and a long of eight yards. Jackson Smith-Njigba had 8 receptions for 103 yards, Cooper Kupp 7 for 90 yards (2 catches for 15 yards last week).
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“Clearly, it’s the same issues that are rearing their head from last week and in the NFL, you don’t have time to go back after each and every game and make the adjustments,” said captain TJ Watt. “You need to make the adjustments before they happen and if they happen in-game, before they’re allowed to continue to snowball like they did today and like they did last week.”
“We’re way too talented. We have way too good of schemes to allow this to happen week after week.”
Watt had his fifth straight game without a sack, he had a pair of quarterback hits and four tackles, The Steelers had only two sacks after having one last week.
“It’s about being consistent,” said captain Cam Heyward. “Our defense is predicated on everyone doing your job play-in and play-out.”
“You never want to give that much up,” said linebacker Payton Wilson. “The amount of work we put into it. The amount of time we put into it. It’s obviously frustrating. It’s just a matter of getting better, continuing to push forward. Each week we got to continue to build and sustain a whole game.”
That’s part of the issue, there are times where it looks like the defense has figured it out, but far too few of them. This is the highest paid defense in the NFL. A group that even a typically reserved Mike Tomlin said could be great. They aren’t great. They aren’t good. They currently aren’t even average.
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Linebacker Patrick Queen says you might have put it on the coaches last year, right now, it’s square on the players. A group of players who according to overthecap.com are making a league-high $162 million, $24 million more than the second-most expensive defense in the NFL.
“The stuff we were getting last season, they schematic beat us,” Queen said. “Now, we got all the details, we just got to go out there execute. It’s really that simple. We got to make that play. We got to be there.”
“It’s frustrating,” Wilson said. “We have some of the most talented guys to ever play their positions in here. For me to miss an assignment, some of these guys are the best in the world. You don’t want that to happen. It’s frustrating.”
“I think it all comes back to playing Steelers football,” said linebacker Nick Herbig. “Getting back to playing the defense we want to play. We need to all get back to that.”
“It’s upsetting,” Queen said. “I don’t like people having their way. We did that again today, we let them have their way. I can’t wait to get back to work. It’s a long season. This season can turn real quick for us.”
“I’m not going to ride the rollercoaster,” Heyward said. “Obviously I would like to play better. I would like our defense to play better. I’m not frustrated, just want us to play better.”