Anybody wondering why no one saying anything about the Defense.

The Defense choked many a time this year. Who we bringing in to save that. Cant stop the run and get shredded on passes like burnt toast when a safety has to cover anyone.

 

Steelers were hampered by too many injuries last season. They’re not getting any younger so there is concern.

 

I think our defensive issues are largely personnel. When we find talent they produce. We need to generate more pressure. We need to be tougher up the middle. That IMO points to poor D-line play and poor ILB play. A playmaking SS would be really nice.

that said...without Watt our defense is easily bottom 3rd of the league. That does point to problems coming down the road if we don't change some things up.

 

Given all of the injuries and literally bringing guys in off the street to fill the voids we were still top 10 in points. We also had an offense that was amongst the worst in the league. What exactly should they have done differently?

 

I think our defensive issues were largely the offense.

 

Luckily the offense exploded to pert near greatness when Mason took the reins.
Missing players on defense didn't help and ifeel they handled it pretty nicely.
Wasn't it just posted earlier today TJ Cam and Minkah only played together in 3 games total this year.

 

well , yes, that and the fact that they were on the field WAY TOO LONG week in and week out....

 

exactly

3 and outs DON'T HELP a defense!

 

They are fine in the regular season but this is always a disaster come playoffs time

 

As others have said the defensive issues were largely down to injuries, there was a run of games in October when they were still relatively healthy where they were holding good teams under 20 points. As soon as the injuries piled up they couldn’t sustain it

They do need to get younger and cheaper on that side of the ball. Looks like they drafted a few good players in 2023 so let’s hope they can continue that

 

3 and out and literally taking 14 seconds off the clock when you are trying to run out the clock

 

The statistical anomaly is crazy that basically we lose if Watt is not in the game. I don't think we have any other player in our history that made that big of a difference that the other players can't hold it together other than 1 game in 11 or 12 tries. That isn't a great formula to win consistently. So that means Watt covers a lot of warts so is it personnel or scheme that he covers for? He isn't getting younger and they have to figure that out. If its personnel than we need to be aggressive to the degree we can be in FA to plug those holes.

 

Games without TJ Watt are always a disaster.

The injuries killed the middle of the defense this year.

The biggest concern is the 2 aging DTs, that are going to cost $33 million next year and even Rooney was talking about that yesterday, along with the rest of the media people. I am not sure who is not talking about about Cam, abnd Larry O this offseason.

Hoping Andy Weidl sticks around long enough to draft us 2 more players for in the trenches. 1 Offense and 1 Defense, just like last year's draft.

 

The team as a whole has been far too dependent on the defence making splash plays. The offence has been bottom 5-10 in the league since the end of the 2020 season, it has been a horribly unbalanced team with no complementarity at all between offence / defence. When you take Watt out the splash plays don’t happen and the offence isn’t good enough to win games on its own. I know that’s a very simplistic theory but with a better offence I don’t think he’d be missed nearly as much.

Let’s hope Arthur Smith finds a way to get the offence moving the ball and scoring consistently.

 

we need to continue to add on both sides of the ball. starting with a CB and some big ugly guys.

 

It would help the defense if the offense could get off to better starts.

 

Yep, give the defense another JPJ and another Benton and you will continue to see the unit improve.

 

You do realize that injuries decimated half our defense this past season? True story

 

not to mention herbig.

 

true but this thread is about the defense and in the playoffs the defense have not done their part in the playoffs in the last 5 games too

 

I feel this is a major issue. Besides Benton who played his @ss off this season as a rook what's behind him is null and void. And Adams is just not that good.

And Heyward on his pod cast said he won't take a play cut. 22 mill and change cap hit. So they will probably extend him and throw more money into the future. Cutting him would cost 6 mill which could be spread out.

Larry O if cut will cost 7 mill to cut. 13 mill and change cap hit for 2024.

Both will be back for better or worse I believe.

They need to draft a DT. But the draft is rumored to be very light in talent. Plus they need a stud right tackle first. Add a center to groom, a receiver and corner. That sucks up 4 picks. Maybe the Khan Artist can trade Chuks and grab a 3rd or 4th. Finding diamonds in the rough in the later rounds. They do have two 4 round picks but no 5th rounder.

 

Okay all teams have injuries so let's stop using that as an excuse. The problems with our defense is we rely too much on TJ and Highsmith to get pressure on the QB. When they are out for injuries or whatever we don't use enough of good design blitzes like other teams do and we give the QB's way too much time.

Also not using Mincah F like we did in the past. We are trying to make him like Troy but he is not. No interceptions this year is not good.

Running defense we need another down stud lineman and could another good MLB and not people that were retired a short time ago.

 

yes, it could?

who is to blame for this?

Then Tomlin saying for weeks, MONTHS that is it just fine.

what a crock of crap....

 

Definitely need another #1 on the DL. Cam was GREAT - but the word is WAS, sorry that he could not get a ring. I had suggested 2-3 years ago, that he jump / get traded so that he could get one.

Oh well - now the hard decision, that I would make - which is to cut him, very sadly. or SEVERE pay restructure.