The Pittsburgh Steelers lost control of the AFC North and their place in the AFC playoff picture this Sunday with a 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears. The Steelers’ offense stalled on their final drive with a chance to get into field goal range and potentially send the game into overtime.
Pittsburgh’s defense made a splash play early by way of a T.J. Watt strip sack for a touchdown, but largely struggled to contain the Chicago offense in the second half.
When Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen was asked
about what was most frustrating about the defense’s play, he did not hold back.
“Just knowing what’s coming and us not doing nothing about it,” Queen said. “You hear guys talking all over the field, communicating what’s coming and play still happens. So it is tough.”
Communication issues have been cited as a problem for the Steelers’ defense for several years now. It seems that the communication is no longer the issue, but rather the execution. Pittsburgh is currently ranked 28th in total defense, despite having the highest-paid defensive unit in the league.
The Steelers defense has the second-most takeaways in the NFL this season with 20, but has been largely inconsistent beyond that. Queen and the rest of the defense will have to show major improvements over the course of the rest of the season if the Steelers want to have any chance of making the playoffs.
Who do you think is to blame for the Steelers’ defensive struggles this season? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments below.
