Former Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Chris Hoke did not hold back when evaluating the team's lingering issues during a recent appearance on “93.7 The Fan.” Reflecting on a frustrating finish, Hoke zeroed in on physical breakdowns in the trenches and late-game defensive collapses that threaten Pittsburgh’s postseason ambitions.
Hoke pointed out that fixing pass protection is a necessity if Pittsburgh intends to make a deep playoff run.
“What concerns me is the protection up front, that’s gotta improve,” Hoke stated. “If they wanna have any kind of anything late in the season to January or February.”
2x Super Bowl Champ Chris Hoke on his biggest concerns with the Steelers. pic.twitter.com/vRru7tCOZ8
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However, his sharpest criticism was reserved for
a defense that faltered when the stakes were highest, particularly during a crucial drive against the Cleveland Browns. After the offense tied the game, the defense surrendered chunk plays that put Cleveland directly into field-goal position.
“The other thing that concerns me is the defense and their inability to tackle and their inability to make a big play against the Browns on the last drive of the game,” Hoke explained. “They come out there, they have a tie ballgame. Then the Browns get the ball, I think on the minus 26, their 26-yard line. First play it was 17 yards to Jerry Jeudy. Can’t give that up. Then it was a 12-yard pass, a 10-yard pass, and next thing you know, they’re in field goal range.”
Hoke noted that star edge rusher T.J. Watt expressed a similar sentiment following the contest, pointing to a growing pattern of frustration across the locker room.
“You saw T.J. [Watt] talked about this after the game in his post-game interview. It’s frustrating, you can’t give up those drives,” Hoke added. “If you wanna be a good defense, you gotta be able to stand tall in big moments, and they didn’t stand tall. You’re starting to see the frustration boil with some of these players on both sides of the ball.”
For a team with legitimate championship aspirations, Hoke’s critique serves as a stark reality check. If the Steelers cannot shore up protection up front and clean up communication errors in high-leverage moments, their hopes for a meaningful January run could slip away long before the postseason even begins.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Chris Hoke sounds alarm on Steelers' costly defensive collapses
