When the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense put up a dud performance against the New York Jets in Week 1, we hoped it was the wake-up call they needed. Apparently, it wasn't. The Seattle Seahawks were coming off an opening game in which they scored 13 points at home in a loss to the 49ers. But the most expensive defense in the league quickly made Seattle's offense look elite.
It began with an egregious performance by Pittsburgh's defense on the first Seattle drive of the game. Quarterback Sam Darnold effortlessly marched the ball down the field for a six-play, 85-yard drive, which was capped off with an effortless touchdown pass.
Somehow, things only got more discouraging from there.
While Pittsburgh entered halftime with a lead, the defense hardly showed signs of life. In the second half, Seattle piled it on with 24 points—17 of which came in the witching hour of the fourth quarter. This proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Steelers in Week 2 as they fell to the Seahawks 31-17.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should ask for their money back from NFL's most expensive defense
The turning point in the game was Kaleb Johnson's egregious play on special teams. The rookie running back let the ball go through his hands, and after it hit inside the landing zone, he didn't have the sense to jump on it. This resulted in an easy special teams touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks.
But even with this horrible play from the rookie, it's the defense that should own the blame for the loss.
After getting their teeth kicked in by Justin Fields and company and allowing 32 points in Week 1, the Steelers failed to step up their game defensively. They allowed Sam Darnold to pass for nearly 300 yards on 8.9 yards per attempt. And had it not been for a pair of interceptions early in the game, the Seahawks would have run away with this game even easier than they already did.
READ MORE: Reality sets in as Aaron Rodgers and Steelers' offense sputter in Week 2
The Steelers also allowed their second straight 100-yard performance on the ground with at least one rushing touchdown.
Giving up over 400 yards of offense to a team that struggled to move the ball in Week 1 is less than ideal—especially when the Seahawks had to travel across the country for an early-afternoon game this week.
T.J. Watt has now gone six straight games (counting the playoffs) without recording a single sack, while the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to get beaten on the ground and through the air. General manager Omar Khan should be asking for his money back from the most expensive defense in the NFL. They haven't been worth a fraction of their pay early in the season.