The vibes surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers through two games this season are questionable at best, and much of the reason for that has been a disturbingly porous defense. They have allowed 31.5 points per game and nearly 400 yards per game through two weeks, both near the bottom of the NFL.
For an organization that prides itself on being a dominant force on that side of the ball, these results are unacceptable. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is squarely in the line of fire due to the rough start, and he is in serious danger of joining a long list of failed defensive minds across the NFL.
It's fair to wonder how much of the blame Austin really deserves, as this is still ultimately Coach Mike Tomlin's defense. He may be the coordinator, but it's hard to imagine that he is the only one making decisions about how the defense operates. Regardless, things are trending in the wrong direction for the long-time NFL coach, and he must find a way to turn things around before his time runs out.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Teryl Austin must learn from past mistakes by other failed coordinators
Austin even being in a position to coach one of the league's most talented defense's is somewhat of a head-scratcher. Outside of a very successful 2014 season with the Lions, Austin's resume as a defensive coordinator is spotty at best.
With his current contract set to expire at the end of this season, Austin has 15 games to show that he has what it takes to fix the Steelers' defensive woes.
I won't pretend to have the answer to their struggles, but one thing is clear after two games: they can no longer expect the pass rush to make everything work. T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward have not looked like the All-Pro players they have been in recent years, and injuries to Alex Highsmith and first-round pick Derrick Harmon have put even more pressure on them.
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Austin has long relied on his pass rushers to get home while playing primarily single-high (Cover-1 and Cover-3) coverage behind them, rarely trying to fool offenses or change things up too much. That works fine when you have overwhelming talent that opposing teams can't handle, but we have seen teams like the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs dominate them due to the simplicity of his scheme.
Now, it seems like even competent offenses can find holes in their defense. Even with an injection of veteran talent this offseason, the secondary hasn't been able to hold up without the defensive front getting home. That has led to a sharp increase in blitz rate so far this season, but it hasn't been enough to solve the problem.
Austin has to adapt and make offenses think twice about what to expect. Many other defensive coordinators have failed in recent years by being too predictable, especially those who tried to emulate Vic Fangio's quarters-heavy defenses. Brandon Staley, Joe Woods, and Joe Barry are just a few examples of coaches who failed to adapt when faced with offenses capable of countering their passive approach.
Austin must take inspiration from guys like Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, whom he coached with in Pittsburgh during the 2022 season. Flores has become perhaps the best defensive playcaller in the NFL, thanks in large part to his willingness to throw just about any coverage, blitz, or stunt at opposing offenses.
The bottom line is that modern defenses cannot afford to be passive and predictable. There is a reason that Seattle Seahawks Coach Mike Macdonald's defensive scheme has started to spread across the league, as he coaches his units to be able to run any type of coverage and stunts/blitzes regardless of the formation. It makes it nearly impossible to predict what the defense will look like post-snap.
The Steelers' defensive coordinator may not be able to make sweeping changes midseason, but varying up his tendencies and moving his defenders around could make all the difference. If he can't find a way to get things turned around fast, his career in the NFL could be in serious jeopardy.