The Pittsburgh Steelers failed to take care of business on the road this week, falling 33-31 to their rival Cincinnati Bengals. It extended head coach Mike Tomlin's streak of divisional road losses on Thursday night to seven, having yet to win a single time in that situation.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the disappointing loss, but perhaps the most egregious issue was the way the defense handled star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Chase ended the game with 16 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown.
It was a massive game for the Bengals' top receiver, but Steelers fans likely weren't surprised to see him go off against their defense. Despite the defensive turnaround in recent weeks, one fatal flaw continues to show up for Pittsburgh, even with all of its additions in the secondary this offseason.
Top wide receivers have gashed the Pittsburgh Steelers defense over and over again
Chase's stat line is the most alarming one allowed by the Steelers this season, but he is far from the only big-name receiver to punish their secondary. Jets receiver Garrett Wilson torched them for 95 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, and Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was similarly dominant with 103 yards on eight catches in Week 2.
The Vikings had plenty of success targeting Justin Jefferson in their Week 4 matchup as well, finishing with 10 receptions for 126 yards. It didn't come back to bite them against Minnesota, but both of their losses now have come in large part due to struggling to slow down opponents' top playmakers.
Fans know this is nothing new for the Steelers' defense. Even with new starting corners Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, they can't seem to put together a good plan for slowing down top receivers. If the pass rush doesn't dominate the game, quarterbacks seem to have little trouble getting the ball out to their favorite target.
The blame falls on Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, as they have relied too heavily on guys like T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward to allow them to play conservatively in the secondary.
I would like to say that they will learn from another disappointing loss to a lesser opponent, but there is unfortunately no reason to believe that will be the case. Now sitting at 4-2, Pittsburgh will look to bounce back in Week 8 against Aaron Rodgers' original team in the Green Bay Packers.