The Steelers have given up 30-plus points on defense and over 450 yards under DC Teryl Austin in the past two games, so how will he adjust? Well, he won’t, necessarily. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he explained that he believes the process he goes through each week is sound. I’m sure some fans might disagree, but nevertheless.
“What I do is I just look at what we’re doing, the process, what I’m telling them, how I’m telling them, trying to make sure that they’re getting the right points, that I’m getting the right points across to them so we’re all on the same page,” Austin said about whether he’s changing anything on defense, via transcript provided by the Steelers’ media department.
He added that he always evaluates the process, and right now, he doesn’t seem to think there is a problem with the Steelers’ defense in that respect.
“We just happen to be in a bad stretch right now,” he said. “The process for me doesn’t change.”
Whether it’s the process or something else, the Steelers clearly need to change the results on defense. They rank 22nd in scoring, 30th in yards, and 30th or worse in most drive efficiency statistics. They allow the most yards per drive to opponents in the entire NFL. And at 3:12 seconds allowed per drive, only two teams are worse. The offense ranking 29th in average drive time doesn’t help matters, either. So, what are the answers, particularly regarding the handling of adversity?
“You’ve got to be steady,” Austin said. “What you can’t do is ride the roller coaster of the game. As a coach and as a player, I think the one thing you do is stay steady throughout,” he said.
And it’s worth noting that Cam Heyward and other Steelers defenders admitted riding that wave. Even players on offense seemed to talk a lot about momentum shifts after the Packers’ loss. They allowed issues to snowball, and a 9-point lead turned into a 10-point loss.
The thing is, the Steelers played a good half of football on defense. Through two quarters, they held the Packers to seven points, allowing 165 yards, just 19 on the ground. They had some success in the air, but went 0-for-4 on third down. Unfortunately, they did much better in the second half, averaging 7.2 yards per play by game’s end.
The Steelers entered this season with delusions of grandeur on defense, thinking they could be historic. So far, the only history they are approaching is having their worst finish of all time in defensive rankings in yards allowed. They compiled talent in the draft, free agency, and trade, but they have failed on multiple fronts. Not only are individuals not performing up to the levels expected, but they are also failing as groups and as a unit.
This Steelers defense lives and dies with the splash play, and they haven’t forced a turnover since Dublin. Their sack numbers have dropped off a cliff, including zero against Green Bay. And now they have to face the Colts, the team with the best record in the league.
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