The Teryl Austin/Defense Complaint Thread (2025)

It's been my opinion that I don't care how many yards the other team gets. Did they score?
We can be dead last in the NFL in yards allowed, but top 10 defense in points allowed, and I'm usually still happy.


The yards don't beat you. The points beat you. This is why we lost vs the Packers. We got FGs, they got TDs. It really is that simple.

 

We all are worried

 

Points are most important, but if you're allowing tons of yards, the opposing team is also likely controlling the TOP, which limits your own offense's opportunities to score points. Bad all around, for sure.

 

Its called half time adjustments.

 

I did a quick google...and sounds like you would still have dead money if the traded player was paid money that didn't hit the cap yet. Spreading out a bonus an example. So even if traded, that money is still counting against the trading teams cap.

 

The steelers are in bottom 3 in yards per drive,time of possession per drive that the defense are on the field and play per drive....The only reason they are not worst in PPG are because the turnovers the pats had in the red zone and the pathetic Browns offense

Still 25th in point per drive against and you make a great point that the offense have fewer opportunity because of their sorry defense

 

This is true, however depending on the teams you play…

1. if you give up a ton of yards but not points eventually the good teams will score tds.

2. if you’re giving up a ton of yards it usually means the defense is on the field longer. Means less time we can score obviously.

ultimately you’re right about the points, it’s just eventually giving up so many yards can bite you in the end.

 

Colin Cowherd is right. Steelers sunk too much money on the D side of the ball and it's coming back to bite them. Invest in QB, LT and #1 WR. Edge rusher and maybe #1 CB are the only defensive positions that should command high dollars. Chiefs invested in their awesome DT and the rest of the D are just fast dudes who get the job done. They will probably win the Super Bowl again.

 

HeinzMustard: Colin Cowherd is right. Steelers sunk too much money on the D side of the ball and it's coming back to bite them. Invest in QB, LT and #1 WR. Edge rusher and maybe #1 CB are the only defensive positions that should command high dollars. Chiefs invested in their awesome DT and the rest of the D are just fast dudes who get the job done. They will probably win the Super Bowl again.



>>> Cowherd is a Seattle boy who suffered for the Steelers beating his team for years in the Super Bowl. He has SDS ( Steeler Derangement Syndrome ) and has been through several shrinks.

But is happier and gets his news from NFL insiders. Don't be so sure it is his opinion.

 

Fair point about yards but we know that the yards are leading to points against this defense. In a given game, yards might not be the full story, but over multiple games it certainly paints the quality of the team, offense or defense.

 

I didn't like the Slay signing that was dumb giving a 34-year-old CB 10 million guaranteed, they should have learned their lesson from signing Patrick Peterson.

 

My brain was right.

 

Steelers are last in pass defense
Steelers are 18th in rush defense
Steelers are 4th in RZ defense
Steelers are 24th in 3rd down defense

Steelers are 22nd in scoring defense


Steelers are 30th in total defense?


https://www.foxsports.com/articles/nfl/2025-nfl-defense-rankings-team-pass-and-rush-stats

 

I don't think having the highest paid defense is the problem; the problem is acquiring washed up veterans via FA and trades and overpaying them. I said it in the summer that having like 5 or 6 guys on the wrong side of 30 will be a problem and here we are. This staff needs to find a core of younger guys, presumably Harmon, Benton, Queen, Wilson, Herbig, and JPJ and build around them, preferably in the draft. The rest are expendable, dead cap hits or not.

 

Bottom line is this defense needs to be younger, and has to be built from the draft. A bunch of aging has beens, although, great at one time are not gonna produce any results to help this team.

 

I’m assuming you never heard of supply and demand

 

These colors are ugly

You have used nicer colors before

Other than that good post

 

Here is a stat
Bengals scored on every possession in second half except for one drive
Packers scored on every possession in second half
Not good
But, Magic Mike blamed the offense?!

 

I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen an ILB make a play on this team?

 

Shazier?

 

Another slight adjustment I'd be making is getting our DL in better position to bat down passes, and dropping our edges into passing lanes to take away the quick slants.

 

Queen is a guy I wouldn't mind offloading in the spring. He has been a massive disappointment.

 

Welp, unless you have Paramount+ or are local you won't be looking at much this weekend. Sorry.

 

Here's the Steelers weekly defensive yards allowed. The trend is UGLY.

For fun, I put a threshold where Tomlin will have to fire Austin. There's a very reasonable chance the Colts blow past that mark.