The Steelers suffered a tough defeat, losing 33-31 to the Cincinnati Bengals in a thrilling “Thursday Night Football” matchup. One key factor behind Pittsburgh’s inability to secure the win was its struggles with rush defense.
Pass rusher T.J. Watt expressed his frustration over Pittsburgh’s difficulties in containing the run.
“Just not playing gap sound football, obviously, we will have to look at the tape, but we felt like the run scheme we had for this game was going to be effective, Watt said Thursday. “I think it’s going to come down to just guys getting out of gaps.”
Cincinnati’s running backs, Chase Brown and Samaje Perine, combined for a total of 18 carries and racked up 139 yards. It’s worth noting that Pittsburgh’s run defense was never exactly on point, allowing an average of 110.6 rushing yards per game leading up to Thursday’s matchup.
The Steelers might have thought they solved their run defense after they held the Cleveland Browns to just 65 rushing yards the game before. However, Cincinnati’s offense poses a much more formidable challenge, thanks to elite receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who help open up the running game.
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Pittsburgh has just over a week to refine its defense before hosting the Green Bay Packers, who have averaged 122.2 rushing yards per game this season.
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