Winning in the NFL isn’t easy. Every Sunday is a battle of inches, execution, and will. So when the Pittsburgh Steelers escaped with a nail-biting 34-32 victory over the New York Jets in Week 1, there was certainly a sigh of relief—but not celebration. And if you ask veteran linebacker Patrick Queen, there’s no time to pat themselves on the back.
Because according to him, that win? It felt more like a warning.
“We (defense) played like sh*t. I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” Queen said bluntly in the postgame press conference. “We played like (expletive), and if we keep playing like that, we are going to get our face mashed in. It’s that simple. I call it like it is, and we played like absolute trash.”
No sugarcoating. No dancing around the issue. Just straight honesty from a player who knows what’s at stake—and what kind of standard the Steelers’ defense is supposed to uphold.
The Steelers’ front office invested heavily on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, with the aim of re-establishing the feared "Steel Curtain" identity. They extended TJ Watt, Jalen Ramsey, DeShon Ellitot, and Cameron Heyward this off-season. But you wouldn’t have known it watching Sunday’s game.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s unit looked out of sync, out of gas, and out of answers against a Jets offense led by a familiar face in Justin Fields.
Fields, in his first game in green and white, looked poised and surgical. He carved up Pittsburgh’s defense for 218 yards through the air, added a touchdown, and, maybe most impressively, didn’t turn the ball over once. He also helped convert seven first downs and a notable 50% on fourth downs—a stat that should make any defensive unit cringe.
And yet, Pittsburgh still won.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to listen to Patrick Queen's Week 1 message closely
But Queen, now in his sixth season, isn’t letting the scoreboard fool anyone.
It’s not just about Week 1. It’s about the bigger picture—and he’s seen what happens when cracks go unaddressed. Last year, the Steelers limped through stretches of the season with defensive inconsistencies. This year, Queen is making it clear: accountability starts now.
He’s not wrong. The Jets outgained the Steelers by over 120 yards (394 to 271), including an eye-popping 182 yards on the ground. The defense looked reactive instead of aggressive—a major red flag against a team still trying to find its identity.
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But here’s the personal silver lining: Queen’s message isn’t about finger-pointing. It’s about leadership. It’s rare to see a player speak this candidly after a win. And it says a lot about his mindset—he’s not chasing highlights, he’s chasing championships.
For Steelers fans, it’s tough to see their defense look this vulnerable. But perhaps it’s better to face the ugly truths now than later. Queen’s brutally honest assessment is the kind of spark that could help ignite the fire this team needs.
Because if there’s one thing true about the NFL—it’s not how you start, it’s how you respond.
And Patrick Queen is demanding a response.