After a shocking loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Thursday, many wrote that off as a fluky off-game by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those paying close attention know that it wasn't unusual for a solid starting quarterback with experience to give the Steelers defense problems. Mike Tomlin's team is continually predictable, and it showed once again versus the Green Bay Packers.
It seems like every time Tomlin's defense doesn't face a young quarterback or a backup-level player, the defense gets exposed. The Steelers might've played a solid first half of football against Green Bay, but things crumbled, especially in the fourth quarter.
Not only is the highest-paid defense in the NFL getting beaten, but they’re also being dominated by playoff-caliber teams.
Everyone wants to see their favorite team win a game when the playoffs commence, but Pittsburgh's roster is showing it won't come close. Instead, they will relive what Tomlin appears to love. Get his lovely "never had a losing season" streak intact and get kicked out of the postseason before they even knew it began.
The Steelers are disaster written all over them once again.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense is in for a world of hurt this season under Mike Tomlin's direction
While the offense hasn't been great, they have been doing their part. They have produced enough points to lead this team to victory on several occasions, but that's not how this roster is built. Tomlin wants the defense to be the stars, but they continue to be afraid of the spotlight. When the lights are brightest and the opposition is strong, the defense has no answers.
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There is no safety net in sight for Tomlin's team to regroup. Unless an unforeseen injury bails them out, Pittsburgh will be playing quality quarterbacks the rest of the way, besides their game against the Cleveland Browns. They will face Justin Herbert, Daniel Jones, and Joe Flacco just over the next three games.
The Steelers shouldn't be favored in any of those matchups, especially with how their defense has been exposed in recent weeks.
Against solid quarterbacks this season, the Steelers' defensive woes get highlighted. Opposing quarterbacks with solid NFL experience know how to pick them apart. Players like Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco, Drake Maye, and Jordan Love have exposed a troubling trend for Pittsburgh.
During those games, the defense has allowed an average completion rate of 71 percent, 316 passing yards, more than two touchdowns, and fewer than one interception per game.
Red flags are swirling. While the Steelers have designed their secondary to handle today’s NFL offenses, they have struggled to make effective schematic adjustments. Given their high salaries, the players cannot merely shift the blame onto the coaches. While Tomlin and Teryl Austin deserve plenty of the blame, so do Omar Khan and all the expensive players they are paying.