Just one month ago, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin touted the team’s defense as a potentially “historic” group heading into the 2025 season.
Now, two weeks into the campaign, the defense has done something that it hasn’t done in 23 years, but it’s not a good thing.
“Meanwhile, the defense continued its troubling trend of being gashed on the ground, while also getting diced up in the secondary as (Sam) Darnold threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns,” ESPN’s Brooke Pryor wrote following the team’s Week 2 loss vs. the Seattle Seahawks. “For the first time since 2002, the Steelers allowed more than 30 points in the first two games of the season, per ESPN Research.”
Pittsburgh has allowed the fourth-most points per game in the NFL through its two contests (31.5), fourth-most yards per contest (394.5) and fifth-most rushing yards per tilt (149.5).
With the likes of seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, linebacker and former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen, six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay and three-time first team All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey all healthy, the Steelers’ defensive struggles have been stunning.
Story continues below advertisement
If it’s any consolation, the 2002 squad, despite ranking 16th in the league points allowed per game (21.6) still went 10-5-1, won the AFC North and advanced to the second round, where they lost to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional playoffs.
More NFL: Steelers Defense Collapses Vs. Seahawks In Latest Underwhelming Performance
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images