The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, but they cannot get out of their own way. The latest example of that came in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears, where the team suffered a crushing 31-28 loss. Once again, the defense came under fire for its struggles, with fans continuing to point fingers at head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers’ defense entered the 2025 campaign with quite a bit of hype surrounding it, but to this point, it has struggled to consistently deliver the goods. Tomlin has been criticized for his lackluster defensive scheme, and when asked about a specific play from the team’s latest loss, he quickly sidestepped the question.
“I am not going to peel back the layers of how we function from a schematic standpoint, although I am impressed by the depths of your question,” Tomlin said on Tuesday.
It’s worth noting, of course, that Pittsburgh is no longer leading the way in their division, which has put them in a tough spot moving forward. While Aaron Rodgers figures to be back under center after missing the team’s Week 12 action, that won’t matter much if the defense can’t get stops.
The problem for the Steelers is that things aren’t going to get easier for them moving forward, as a difficult matchup against the Buffalo Bills looms in Week 13. If Tomlin can’t get the defense on the right page for this game, the team could end up suffering yet another loss, which would be truly damaging to their playoff hopes.
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