Is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense IN TROUBLE even with T.J. Watt? 😬 I NFL Live

ESPN, ESPN to Portz, and the allnew ESPN app with Payton and Eli once again on ESPN 2. Of course, coverage kicks off with NFL Live at 3 Eastern. We’ll all be there on site continues with the Monday Night Countdown crew in Baltimore at 6 Eastern. All right, let’s go to Pittsburgh where the Steelers defense took a hit on Sunday after giving up 31 points in their loss to the Seahawks. The Steelers have allowed 63 points this season. That’s tied with 2018 for the most they’ve allowed through the first two games of a season in the Mike Tomlin era, which dates back to 2007. Pittsburgh hasn’t allowed 30 points in each of their first three games of a season since 1968. Mike Tomlin spoke today about Pittsburgh’s defensive struggles. You know, I thought that we did a better job in week two certainly than we did in week one. Um, I thought it got away from us down the stretch as we wore down. Um, I think they maybe had 50 yards or so in the last scoring drive, for example. And so, uh, we’re just simply going to get back to work. Dan, why is Pittsburgh’s defense struggling so much? When you watch the tape, there’s one thing that glaringly shows up in the run game defensively. Where’s number 90? We’re going to run opposite number 90. The Seattle Seahawks set their tight ends to your right. There’s TJ Watt. We’re automatically running opposite TJ Watt. One, it’s TJ Watt. Two. Our numbers are an advantage. They’ve got four. I’ve got four. I’m always as an offense looking to get a hat on a hat. If I got a guy on a guy, that’s advantage me because of our leverage. There’s my tight ends. Once again, TJ Watts over to the right. I’m not running right. I’m running left. Once again, you only have three and a half to four bodies there. I’ve got four bodies there. You’re giving me double teams on the interior that we can get up to your linebacker. These runs are always going away from TJ Watt. TJ Watt lines up to the tight ends. You set your tight ends. You set the formation strength. He’s going to match it. We’re running away. I’ve got four in my blocking. You’ve only got three. I get double teams for the backside backer. These are holes that are gashing for me offensively. This is the one that seals the game. Where’s TJ Watt? America should know by now. We are not running that way. Down block, pull. Pull. These are easy runs. We catch the perimeter. Right now, we got a a body on a body. We race to the perimeter and it’s a touchdown. So far through two games, teams have run at TJ Watt. 13 times they average two and a half yards per carry. Away from TJ Watt. Look at that number. 34 times they are averaging six yards per carry. This is something on tape that is showing itself. This is something that has to get fixed in Pittsburgh or they will continue to struggle on defense. Yeah. I think what’s so alarming for Pittsburgh too is they’re I would say selling out to stop the run, but they’re putting big dudes on the field too, right? Like the Seahawks for the most part were running out of heavy groupings. You saw that one terrific play with the fullback, multiple tight ends, multiple backs on the field. And Pittsburgh mostly matched that with their base defense. Dan, you talked about them getting a hat on the hat. When it was one-on-one, they were just blowing them back. The offensive linemen on the move were just knocking guys over. And I think that’s what’s concerning because this isn’t something that you can solve with numbers at this point or with changing uh schematically who you’re playing and how you’re playing these sorts of runs. The individual players are just losing these matchups outside of TJ Watt. And I think that’s we’re something we’re going to see continue with teams who have a commitment to run the ball with big bodies on the field. Oh, that breaks my heart. I think that I think there I got to disagree with my sister. I think there is some schematic things that you need to do, right? Y’all know my answer always when you’re getting ran on is go baref. You change the look. You change the picture for the offensive line. the three tight ends has always needed to be matched with your linebackers bossed up closer to the line of scrimmage because what they’re doing is they’re they’re giving you the look of a zone stretch but it’s double teams that’s turning the double team for us is so easy in that look I know and and again if I was the defensive coordinator as far as that in particular we would be closer into the line of scrimmage and I know what the back end is at compromise but at this point it’s bad let me give you a they’re going to throw on him I Oh, I but but MK, you got to take something away, right? Like like you you have to but but here’s another issue they have. Third down yards per play on third down, they’re 29th in the league, giving up seven carry. Yards per average is 9.1. 27th in the league. The completion percentage on third down that they’re giving up. They’re 26. They’re giving up 70%. Ball’s going over a lot. Okay, numbers. Yards per rush, five on third down. This is all third down. This is not defensively. Third down percentage execution wise, they given up more than 50% of third downs and yards allowed 213. They’re 30th in the league on third down on defense in yards yards allowed. So, not only is what Dan talking about, which leads into that, but again, third down is what this league is about. You can’t get off the field, you’re going to lose games. Yeah, man. By the way, looking ahead to Sunday, Pittsburgh seeking its first win in Foxboro since 2008. They got to get it right quick. Still ahead, we’re going to talk about huge [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

On NFL Live, Dan Orlovsky, Marcus Spears and Mina Kimes join Laura Rutledge to discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers and their performance against the Seattle Seahawks.

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19 comments

  3. Whether the toxic steelers fanbase wants to admit it or not, this defense is trash, and Watt is in a decline. It started last year. On paper his stats looked look closer, and you'll see it was the lowest output since his rookie year. He's slowing down, and so is Cam. I'm glad we paid them more money to look old

  8. pretty obvious in the run defense. Keeanu benton is out of position (playing NT at 295-300), running away from TJ who is one of the best run defenders in the league, personnel issues, and sheer execution.

  11. How can he help the defense when he is getting doubled and triple teamed. Offensives don’t respect the Steelers defensive line. Two linemen can block the rest of the Steelers defensive line.

  14. The Steelers have an awful age turnaround rate. they are tied for second oldest player age team in the league, let that sink in. The only team that is older than the Steelers player age wise is the commanders. You're not going to win championships let alone playoff games like that when you have a roster that has 17, 30+ players on your main roster.

  15. Dan O, Making Excuses Faster Than He Runs Out Of The End zone!!! The Last 5 Years Tomlin Has Out Spent Every Other Team On Defense.. And The Steelers Defense has Gotten Old.. And Wasted By Tomlin.. Not One Playoff Win In TJ Watts Whole Career?

  17. Week 2 and these guys getting run over like road kill. This defense can't withstand this pace this season. Maybe they can incorporate an old friend for an excuse, miscommunication. It fooled most of you tomlin backers last season,why not run it through again.

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