Steelers defense is making a lot of money. It's just not making many plays

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin's very public (and very calculated) shot at Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry for trading Joe Flacco to Cincinnati earlier this month was out of character for a coach who typically demurs when asked about things that happen outside of Pittsburgh.

In the moment, it provided a bit of viral theater. In hindsight, maybe it was also Tomlin's way of hinting at an underlying concern that his team's well-compensated defense might not be up to the task when forced to face quarterbacks that don't play for the Browns.

On a night where so much attention focused on Aaron Rodgers facing his former team for the first time, the takeaway from Pittsburgh's 35-25 defeat at the hands of Green Bay isn't that Rodgers “lost." If anything, the 41-year-old Rodgers has proven through seven games that he remains a worthy investment nearing the midpoint of his 21st season.

Far more troubling for the suddenly skidding Steelers (4-3) is that the star-laden defense isn't earning the considerable zeros on its collective paycheck. Nine days after Flacco picked them apart in an upset loss to the Bengals, Green Bay's Jordan Love became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 20 consecutive passes while throwing for at least 350 yards without taking a sack or committing a turnover.

In a quiet locker room afterward, T.J. Watt, Jalen Ramsey, Cam Heyward and company offered clipped responses as to why a unit that Tomlin said over the summer might have the chance to be among the best ever in a franchise that has long been defined by its defense appears lost.

“There's not a lot of fight in us right now,” Heyward said.

No, there's not. Pittsburgh was able to cover up its defensive issues during its 4-1 start by regularly creating turnovers, five alone in a win over New England that helped mask a massive yardage discrepancy between the losers (369) and the winners (203).

Those takeaways have dried up. Pittsburgh's defense has gone three straight games without getting its hands on the ball, the first time that's happened since 2022. That's also the previous time the Steelers missed the playoffs.

While it's far too early to make that sort of proclamation, the reality is that Pittsburgh has now squandered multiple opportunities to take firm control of the wildly underachieving AFC North and the issue hasn't been Rodgers and the offense, but the unit that was supposed to be this team's anchor.

It has indeed been that, just not in the way Tomlin or his players imagined.

The Steelers will enter November in the bottom five in the NFL in yards allowed. The franchise hasn't finished a season in that kind of company since 1988 and has ranked in the bottom half of the league just three times in Tomlin's first 18 years.

All three of those seasons — 2014, 2015, and 2021 — Pittsburgh managed to reach the playoffs anyway, thanks in large part to Ben Roethlisberger's late-game brilliance. That might be a more fraught proposition this time around if the defense can't figure things out quickly.

“It's a long season,” inside linebacker Patrick Queen said. “We're just going to keep building, keep stacking, learn from these and get better.”

They don't really have a choice.

The big man package featuring reserve lineman Spencer Anderson as an extra blocker alongside massive 6-foot-7 tight end Darnell Washington is working. The Steelers are averaging 4.95 yards per carry since the alignment became a regular part of the offense. It's uncertain how that might look going forward if guard Isaac Seumalo is out longer term with a pec injury, which would force Anderson to replace him on a full-time basis.

It might be more like “who needs help?” Heyward had seven tackles in his 218th career game, just two behind Hall of Fame center Mike Webster for second most in franchise history. The 36-year-old Heyward logged seven tackles against Green Bay. No other defensive lineman for Pittsburgh had more than two.

Is Chris Boswell the most reliable kicker in the NFL? While Dallas' Brandon Aubrey may have the league's strongest leg, he also has the luxury of playing his home games indoors. Boswell works at one of the trickiest outdoor stadiums in the league, where everything from the footing to the wind is uncertain at any given moment. Boswell's three makes from 50-plus on Sunday gave him three career games with that many conversions from 50-and-over, the most by any kicker in league history.

It feels borderline unfair to single out an individual member of a secondary that is underperforming almost across the board, but cornerback Darius Slay is looking his age as he nears the midpoint of his 13th season. The soon-to-be 35-year-old missed a couple of tackles against Green Bay that the Packers turned into first downs and has been ineffective in coverage.

Safety DeShon Elliott's season could be over after sustaining a right knee injury in the second half. While Pittsburgh has options to replace Elliott on the field, replacing his presence in the huddle and in the locker room will be difficult. ... Seumalo, by far the most experienced player on a young offensive line, returned briefly after initially injuring the pec before being pulled for good, not a great sign. Defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale, who has carved out a niche as a rotational piece on the line, is also out longer term with a knee injury.

4 — sacks by Watt through seven games, putting the perennial Pro Bowler on pace for his lowest sack total in a season not affected by injury since his rookie year in 2017.

Try to regain some confidence ahead of a visit by white-hot Indianapolis, which will bring the NFL's top-ranked offense to Acrisure Stadium next Sunday.

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