worried about our run defense

Hopefully.

 

Don't you worry about our run defense!!! @S.T.D says no problem!!!!! Love ya S.T
.D

 

Run defense concerning with exceptions of Watt and Highsmith. For me it's also concerning with how many times the defense gives up long or middle passes on 3rd and long plays. We continue to give up too many of these passes with no blitzing. What are we waiting for to blitzing more.

 

The defense is actually fourth in the NFL in yards per carry allowed at 4.0, but it is inconsistent. They have shut down some backs, but they also had very poor efforts. The Cowboys have struggled to run all season, but their ability to run on the Steelers was likely the difference in that game. They also had no answer for Tracy most of the game Monday night.

The interior linemen have been pushed around too much. Queen and Wilson have been out of position too much. I think this is more a matter of consistency than ability, but it is troubling with top running teams like the Ravens and Eagles among the upcoming opponents.

 

Ekeler, Henry and Chubb all within 12 days. Steelers could easily be 6-5 after that stretch... and I would not be surprised.

 

Score more TDs more often and teams abandon the run against us.

 

I don't necessarily disagree...but with what appears to be a forming capable offense, the margins are getting slightly less thin. Steelers seem to be able to score points now and only the Browns have a strong defense of the 3 games.

 

Commanders have a good, but not great defense. I can see them bottling up Harris and Warren and limiting the passing game. Commanders offense is the type of group that has given the Steelers fits in the past. The Popcorn soft zone defense will not work against them....I can see them getting at least 400 yards.

 

Talking up the Commanders like they're the Chiefs or something

 

The commanders have a top 3 offense in yards and points this year and they have only 3 turnovers on offense after 8 games.It will be a huge challenge for the steelers defense

 

They also struggled to beat the Bears who has a crappy offense.

 

I watched the game and they completely dominated the bears, especially in the first 3 quarters.They just missed a lot of opportunists because of penalties that cost them 1-2 TD and had issues in the red zone, similar to the steelers against the giants but they still had 480 yards on offense against a very good bears defense

Their defense have also been better in the last few week after a bad start in the first 3 games,they are 6-2 for a reason....Not the same team now they have a great rookie QB and Dan Snyder is gone

 

Steelers have given up 359 yards per game over the last 5 games to pretty junky offenses... it's not a reach to think a good offense will break 400 yards.

 

The Commanders offense isn't as bad as the Chiefs... Its better. They're a good offense, and are so in large part due to the fact that Jayden Daniels has made their offense very explosive. They've scored 34 points or more in 4 of the last 6 games (the other 2 being 23 and 18), and I think with how the defense has performed over the last 5 games, it is totally fair to worry that they are going to light up the scoreboard on us. We're going to have to get our act together over the bye and start playing more like we did the first 3 weeks of the season and less like the last 5. If we do so, we can stop anybody. If we don't, then Russ is going to have to start figuring out how to score TD's in the Red Zone, because we will need those TD's if we want to compete.

 

If I was an Offensive Coordinator and putting together a scheme against our defense I would do the following:

1. Short quick passing attack. Neutralizes Watt & Highsmith rush and our DBs give two much cushion. Brady and Mahomes killed us with this every time.
2. Use a lot of draw plays and screens to negate the aggressive pass rush. Screens have been very successful against us this year.
3. A team with a great TE will kill us in the short to middle part of the field, drag and seam routs will be a problem. Gronkowski, Kelce, Andrews has always exposed us.

The clear strength is our pass rush but the above 3 practices work against our aggressiveness. If we don’t get home we get exposed in the secondary. I would still take our defense over any other in the league but to me these our weak areas.

 

Don't know the Commanders well, but 100% agree with your take on the popcorn soft zone...aggravates me to no end.

 

Well if you look at the teams we beat both the Jets and the Giants are in the bottom 10 of ranked offense. The Raiders ditto. The Los Angeles Chargers ditto. The Broncos are just below the jets. So maybe our defense is showing some signs of weakness?

 

Yep. At times they look confused not knowing where to go, some with their backs turned in bunches. The awareness needs to get better as well as being lined up properly.

Need better play from the secondary even with a pass rush.

 

Almost all the big runs were over the left guard side.

 

Don't care as long as they stay out of the endzone

 

Only given up 5 passes for a 1st down on 3rd and 10 or more yards. It might seem like a lot but that is smack dab in the middle of the NFL.

 

Queen was very poor at gap integrity.

 

We won a game this year by staying out of the end zone

 

The Giants have a very decent offensive coordinator in Mike Kafka.. As others have pointed out our run defense has leaks from time to time but they stop the top backs and have slowed them down consistently

 

So what if a good offense gets 400 yards, the only thing that matters is the scoreboard.