Nothing is better than starting the season undefeated. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, a 34-32 win over the New York Jets in Week 1 gave fans reason to celebrate. Aaron Rodgers engineered clutch drives, Chris Boswell drilled the game-winner, and Mike Tomlin’s squad found a way to pull through in the fourth quarter. But while the record shows 1-0, the tape tells a different story about Pittsburgh’s run defense.
Let’s be honest—182 rushing yards allowed is embarrassing for the highest-paid defense in football. T.J. Watt and his teammates struggled to wrap up Breece Hall, and even Justin Fields moved the chains with his legs.
That isn’t the standard this franchise has built its identity on. If the Steelers want to keep stacking wins, fixing the run defense is priority number one.
That challenge becomes even greater in Week 2 against Seattle’s dangerous backfield duo of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. I’ll admit, Walker hasn’t looked like the same back since his rookie burst, when he carved up defenses with speed and physicality. But that’s exactly why Pittsburgh must stay on high alert.
I still remember Walker’s performance against the Steelers in Week 17 of the 2023 season.
He may not have dominated the stat sheet, but 53 yards and a touchdown on limited touches reminded everyone of his potential.
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense mist play lights out vs. Kenneth Walker III
Since then, his production has cooled—he hasn’t cracked 500 rushing yards in a season. Last week, he posted just 20 yards on 10 carries. On paper, those numbers don’t scare anyone.
But here’s the catch: Walker is a sleeping giant. And giants don’t stay quiet forever.
The danger lies in Pittsburgh’s tendency to let average rushing attacks look elite. Last week’s collapse against New York’s ground game proves it. If they approach Seattle with the same sloppy tackling, poor gap discipline, and lack of urgency, Walker could be the one to wake up and run wild. That’s the kind of spark that can flip momentum in an instant.
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Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has to get this fixed. That means better run fits from the linebackers, more discipline at the edge, and stronger tackling at the second level. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Cam Heyward can’t do it all themselves. The entire unit has to buy into being “stout,” just like Tomlin preaches every week.
From my perspective, I don’t need Walker to prove to me what he’s capable of—I’ve already seen it. The question is whether this Steelers defense respects that threat enough to keep him bottled up. Because if they don’t, the sleeping giant will wake up, and the cost could be Pittsburgh’s first loss of the season.
At 1-0, optimism is high in the Steel City. But Week 2 is about proving that this team can win by more than just heart and heroics. It’s about showing they can dominate in the trenches and take away what their opponent does best. Keeping Kenneth Walker III asleep is step one. If they do that, 2-0 is within reach.