The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense has earned a lot of criticism through the first half of the season. However, the unit took some big steps forward against the Indianapolis Colts last week. There were some struggles early on, and prevent defense allowed a couple of scores late. But for the majority of the game, the Steelers’ defense dominated at every level.
However, ESPN’s Mina Kimes wants to see more from that unit.
“I’m not buying the Steelers’ defensive turnaround, entirely, to be honest,” Kimes said Thursday on her podcast. “I think moving [Jalen] Ramsey to safety was helpful. And I think they had a great game plan against the Colts. But I also think the Colts should have just run the ball more in that one.”
The Colts did become one-dimensional, and they surely would have liked to run the ball more. But the Steelers deserve a lot of credit for that. The Colts took an early lead, but an avalanche of turnovers put them behind. Strip-sacks from T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, plus three interceptions helped the Steelers jump out in front. Once Indianapolis trailed by multiple scores, any team would have become one-dimensional in that situation.
It’s reasonable to have some doubt about the unit since the Steelers forced six turnovers and won by just seven points. However, it’s not like that’s something that happens once in a blue moon. At the start of the season they forced five turnovers against New England and also won by a touchdown. This defense is at its best when it’s creating splash plays like that. Against New England, that method of winning was unsustainable. But against the Colts, it did feel like the Steelers had control throughout the game.
However, Kimes still thinks teams can run against the Steelers. And she believes the Chargers could have success there on Sunday night.
“The Chargers have been very pass-heavy this year. But if I’m [Greg] Roman, and I’m looking at this offensive line, I’m looking at that defense, I would really try to find ways to get going on the ground,” Kimes said.
The Chargers have a lot of talent at receiver, and Justin Herbert is having a great year. But protecting him could be a tough task on Sunday. Both Chargers starting tackles are out for the year, and they face a Steelers pass rush that’s got a lot of momentum. Herbert was sacked six times last week by the Titans, and his 28 total sacks are third-most in the league.
Running the ball might be tough, too. Their top two running backs to begin the year, Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton, are both injured. In their place, Jaret Patterson ran for 44 yards, and Kimani Vidal ran for 30 last week.
The Steelers’ defense is hot, and it’s facing a Chargers offense with a lot of injuries. This is a great chance for the defense to build some momentum off last week, but it has to start with stopping the run.
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