Admitting the problem is half the battle. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, solving it is the other.

Thursday, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin acknowledged the fact opposing offenses are getting the ball out quick. Really quick. Here’s the snap-to-throw time (STT) and difference from seasonal average in each game this season. Numbers courtesy of PFF.

QB
Steelers STT
Season STT

Justin Fields
3.38
3.09

Sam Darnold
2.59
2.68

Drake Maye
2.86
3.07

Carson Wentz
2.66
2.66

Dillon Gabriel
2.51
2.74

Joe Flacco
2.27
2.52

Jordan Love
2.49
2.81

Daniel Jones
2.71
2.77

Justin Herbert
2.33
2.84

Joe Flacco
2.67
2.52

Caleb Williams
2.66
3.24

Of the 11 quarterbacks (in counting Flacco twice), eight times did he throw quicker than his seasonal average. Carson Wentz tied his while only Justin Fields in Week 1 and Flacco in Week 11 had longer snap-to-throw times.

The pattern is clear. Opposing passing games are countering Pittsburgh’s pass rush, the biggest threat on the entire team, by getting the ball out fast.

Austin diagnosed the issue. He did not and seemingly could not offer a solution. Normally, the Steelers’ mantra to counter this is by stopping the run. A tried-and-true value of this defense since the Steel Curtain. Earn the right to rush the passer. Stop the run, create third-and-long, and pin your ears back.

But that’s not working. Pittsburgh’s run defense has been spotty throughout the season. Worse yet, even when it’s been good, the plan hasn’t worked. The Steelers shut down Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs and held the offense to just 3.6 YPC. Last week, the Chicago Bears’ prolific running game, one that just posted 281 on the ground Friday against Philadelphia, was held to 99. Starting running back D’Andre Swift had just 15 yards on eight tries.

And yet, their quarterbacks carved the Steelers up. Love threw for 360 yards and three scores. Williams tossed three himself. All while getting the ball out lightning fast.

That’s disrupted the entire structure of Pittsburgh’s defense. Its teeth and biggest impact, the EDGE rushers, muted. Through 11 games, T.J. Watt only has seven sacks. He’s on pace to finish with 10.5, the lowest mark in a non-injury season since his rookie year.

How can Pittsburgh combat it? It’s not easy. Modern NFL offenses are using the quick game, RPOs, screens, and horizontal throws as run game substitutes.

That leaves Pittsburgh with a couple ideas.

One, be more physical in coverage. Man and zone. Especially with zone reroutes, a point James Harrison made (very angrily) earlier this week. Disrupting the timing of the pass game will force the quarterback to hold the ball and wait for the route to develop or receiver to get open. That could allow an extra half-second for the rush to get home. An eternity in the NFL and if Pittsburgh had an extra half-second on every throw, they’d have at least 10 more sacks this year. Patrick Queen and Watt have several almost-sacks invisible to the box score.

Two, Pittsburgh’s rush must get hands up in throwing lanes. It’s something very much part of the Steelers’ culture and something the group does well. But it must remain a point of emphasis and consistent counter. Pittsburgh did not do a good enough job of that against Chicago last week and must improve versus Buffalo, though facing a tall and big quarterback like Josh Allen isn’t easy.

When every opposing offense builds out the nuts and bolts of its game plan, it starts with minimizing the Steelers’ pass rush. Nothing else matters until that gets solved. More than ever, teams are getting the ball out in a hurry, and now it’s Pittsburgh’s turn to counter in football’s ever-shifting chess match.