Pittsburgh Steelers Defense Looking for Answers
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is looking for some answers with their last preseason game on Thursday and the start of the NFL regular season just over a week away.
This week some of the defensive meetings at the Pittsburgh practice facility were not pleasant.
The defense allowed the Buffalo Bill group of quarterbacks to pass at will and look like they were facing stars like their own Ben Roethlisberger.
The Bills signal callers, all of whom are not established NFL quarterbacks, completed 30 of their 33 passes for 386 yards, including 3 touchdowns and a 142.8 passer rating.
Former Buffalo great Thurman Thomas asked from the broadcast booth if the Steelers defense was that bad.
Mike Tomlin the Pittsburgh head coach said the defense in its entirety has not been seen as of yet and not until the opening game of the season at New England will it be seen.
In Pittsburgh’s four preseason games, the defense had one interception and that from an undrafted Kevin Fogg who just might make the team.
The defense has big holes and to have that so early in the season is worrisome, although there is still plenty of time to correct it.
The Steelers are aware communication needs to improve. EJ Manuel threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Clay in last weekend’s game. The pass was straight down the deep middle of the field and both Pittsburgh safeties were nowhere to be found.
With the defensive set the Steelers were in, both safeties flared to the sidelines, while one linebacker dropped into zone coverage but he could not get to the deep ball. It looked as if another linebacker was going to help cover Clay, but slipped on the play.
The corner was beaten by Clay and the play ended before Pittsburgh could blink an eye.
It could be that a perfect Manuel throw was not even defendable in that type of defensive set, but less breakdowns help prevent such big plays.
Pittsburgh did not have two of its secondary starters at the time and the play is not being overanalyzed by coach Tomlin. He simply said the Bills out executed his team on that play and that his players had better get better in a hurry.
Arthur Moats one of Pittsburgh’s linebackers said a day like the loss to Buffalo is much better experiencing in preseason that the regular season.
He pointed out that no one should do too much overreacting since the prior week, against Green Bay, the defense registered six sacks.
However, the secondary better all be on the same page when the Steelers travel to New England or else Tom Brady, if he plays, or his backup will have target practice against them.
