The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has struggled in the first two games, allowing a total of 789 yards, which raises concerns for the rest of the season.
Pittsburgh has historically had one of the NFL’s best defenses, but the shaky start to this season has left fans feeling uneasy.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Paul Zeise addressed a question in his mailbag on Friday: “Is the Steelers’ defense as poor as it has been in the first two games?”
“I think the defense will be better, but I don’t know what better looks like and how much better they will be,” Zeise wrote. “Clearly, they need Derrick Harmon, whom they drafted to be their run stopper. They have to get better play from their inside linebackers against the run. Jalen Ramsey needs to be more consistent. Their two stars in the front seven need to start making impact plays. All of that is possible, so there is plenty of room for growth. Whether that will happen is a different story for a different day.”
Pittsburgh’s primary issue at the moment is its struggle to stop the run, allowing 299 rushing yards in the first two games. If the Steelers cannot improve their run defense, they will need to stack more players in the box, which could leave them vulnerable to the opposing team’s passing game.
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The Steelers need to focus on tightening their run defense this week, but it’s going to be a challenge since the New England Patriots have quarterback Drake Maye, who has excellent mobility. Their running backs, Rhamondre Stevenson, can wear down opposing defenses, and TreVeyon Henderson is always a big play away from breaking out.
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