The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to 1-1 after a frustrating 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and two weeks into the NFL season, the story feels all too familiar. Once again, the Steelers look outcoached, unprepared, and completely underwhelming on defense despite boasting the highest-paid unit in the league.
For years, fans have been told that change was coming under Mike Tomlin, but those promises have proven empty. After ending last season on a five-game losing streak, the logical move would have been to shake up the coaching staff. Instead, almost the entire group of yes-men assistants returned. The result is the same exact team with the same exact problems.
Many are already calling for defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s job, but the truth is, this is not his defense. Just like with Keith Butler before him, it is Mike Tomlin’s fingerprints all over it. Coordinator changes come and go, yet the scheme remains the same: predictable, stale, and easy to prepare for.
Julian Edelman admitted years ago that facing the Steelers' defense under Tomlin was the easiest prep in football because nothing ever changed. Edelman has been retired for years, and somehow that statement still rings true.
The defense shows signs of being a season-long problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers' defensive philosophy boils down to lining up, playing your man, and hoping your stars win their matchups. There is no creativity, no disguises, and no effort to create mismatches. For years, this defense has leaned solely on elite players bailing them out with splash plays and turnovers. But those stars are aging, and their ability to carry a broken scheme is fading fast.
This offseason, even more talent was added, and the hype came not from the media but from the players on this very roster who were saying this group could be historic. Two games in, it is clear that this is laughable.
And if this is how they look against two of the weaker offenses on their schedule, what is going to happen when they face the heavyweights?
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It all comes back to Tomlin. He talks a good game with his usual word salad, but the results on the field have not changed in years. Ownership can hand him fat extensions and buy into the illusion of stability, but the product is stale, predictable, and disappointing.
Until the Steelers' front office finally holds Tomlin accountable, fans should not waste their energy blaming scapegoats like Austin. The real culprit is the head coach himself.
Unless there is a drastic philosophical shift, which is unlikely given Tomlin’s notorious stubbornness, this is shaping up to be another long and painful season.