PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen the expectations surrounding them drop dramatically in the eyes of the national media since the opening kickoff of the season.
What began with a narrow, high-scoring shootout victory over the New York Jets quickly raised concerns rather than confidence. That game, while producing an exciting finish, laid bare glaring weaknesses within the Steelers’ defense—issues that analysts suggested could become a recurring theme if not addressed. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, those warnings proved accurate almost immediately.
In their second outing, facing off against the Seattle Seahawks, the Steelers’ struggles deepened. Instead of building momentum from their Week 1 win, the team appeared unsettled and inconsistent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Missed assignments, poor tackling, and a lack of pressure on the quarterback allowed Seattle to control the tempo and ultimately expose Pittsburgh’s inability to adjust. What should have been an opportunity to showcase growth turned into a game that highlighted just how vulnerable the Steelers might be moving forward.
Now, just two weeks into the season, the narrative around Pittsburgh has shifted. Once viewed as a team that could contend in a stacked AFC, they are increasingly portrayed as a squad searching for identity, battling not only opponents on the field but also rising skepticism off it.
In their second game of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ troubles went beyond the defensive side of the ball. The offense, which was expected to provide some balance, stumbled mightily. The run game, in particular, has been nearly non-existent. Outside of a single explosive 65-yard catch-and-run by Jaylen Warren—a rare bright spot in an otherwise stagnant performance—the ground attack has been nothing short of disastrous.
Kaleb Johnson, who was counted on to provide a spark out of the backfield, has struggled to make an impact. Time and again, he found himself swallowed up before reaching the line of scrimmage, unable to create separation or generate momentum. His difficulties were compounded by a costly special teams mistake that gifted the Seahawks a near-free touchdown, swinging the momentum firmly in Seattle’s favor and leaving the Steelers scrambling to recover.
On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks’ rushing attack exposed Pittsburgh’s defensive front with ruthless efficiency. Seattle piled up 117 yards on the ground, leaning heavily on star running back Kenneth Walker. Walker gashed the Steelers for an eye-popping 8.1 yards per carry, a number that dwarfs the league average and underscored just how porous Pittsburgh’s run defense has been.
The numbers tell a sobering story: through just two games, the Steelers rank as the fifth-worst rushing defense in the NFL. While some may argue that the sample size remains small, the early trend is alarming—particularly for a franchise that boasts the highest-paid defense in the league. The combination of underwhelming performances, costly mistakes, and a glaring inability to stop the run has left fans and analysts alike questioning whether this team can live up to its lofty payroll and proud tradition.
Now, a new stat has been brought to light by ESPN. Highlighted by former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky, the Steelers defense differes heavily depending on which side the opposing offense runs towards.
When the opposing defense runs towards the side of elite edge rusher T.J Watt, which 96% of the time is the left, they struggle mightily. With 13 attemps and 2.5 yards per attempt, opponents have roughly 32.5 yards total running towards his side.
On the other hand, 204 yards can be accounted for on 34 rushes going away from Watt. Naturally, some of this comes from the fact that the coaches are aware of Watt’s talent and will therefore scheme their plays to avoid his side. That being said, the averages still exhibit Watt’s talent as a run defender even when they opt to go for his side of the field.
It is too early to tell, but the average of 6 yards per rush on either side is an unsustainably bad metric for the Steelers that will need to be addressed before the season moves to far forward.
