Pittsburgh Steelers defense meant nothing before Week 3

The Tennessee Titans will be the first team of 2018 to see the Pittsburgh Steelers defense in their entirety.

Week 2 of the preseason was forgettable for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. They allowed anything to happen, whether it was through the air or the ground. 51 points whether it’s a preseason game or the Super Bowl is something that takes the demeanor right out of a team.

Week 3 allows them to bounce back. This will be the first time this group of players is on the field in live game action. Outside of one or two players labeled questionable, the first-team defense should be on the field for the first quarter of the team’s home game.

They’ll see a team they controlled last season, the Tennessee Titans. Last season, the Steelers found four interceptions and five sacks on their way to a 40-17 win over Tennessee.

The defense could do anything they wanted to in this matchup. The crowd was electric and everyone on both sides of the ball were feeling great from start to finish. Is that the outlook for this 2018 preseason game? No. Especially not after Week 2. But maybe it should be.

The starting defense has looked promising all offseason. They have guys who fill voids they needed to fill this season. Inside linebacker remains the only real concern this unit has heading into the regular season. Outside of that, though, there aren’t many gaps as a whole.

All expectations you have taken from the first two weeks of the preseason now fade away. The starters can come in and dominate or prove they aren’t as talented as many thought. Either way, that’s a judgement to make after Week 3.

The players are excited about it as much as the fans. Sean Davis told Teresa Varley that seeing the defense on the field together will give them a chance to find that chemistry and get tape they can work off of. Something this unit has not been able to do thus far.

Pittsburgh has a chance to be over-the-top good this season. It’s going to come down to the reliability of the defense. Week 3 offers the first chance at bringing back a Steelers D of the past.

They have the talent, they have the chemistry and they have the experience. This is the first time there’s a real sense this unit can be great. They’ll see on Saturday.