The Steelers defense could not stop the run or the pass
When you can't stop the run or the pass, you generally lose unless your offense outscores your opponent. That was not the case for the Steelers against the Texans. The defense was porous yet again, this time it was the passing game of the Texans that 'feasted'.
The defense gave up over three hundred yards through the air, an average of a little over ten yards per pass attempt. That's awful. What's also awful was the fact that the defense could not take advantage of a depleted Texans offensive line.
Going into the game, I think everyone, including me, thought that our pass rushers, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, in particular, would have a 'field day'. I was wrong. We generated exactly zero sacks. Not good, to say the least.
The formula on defense in the previous two victories was unable to be rendered against the Texans. As I said, when you can't stop the run, you generally end up on the losing side of the ledger and that was what transpired against the Texans.
Let's see what else we learned.