Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New York Jets by a score of 34-32 on Sunday behind four passing touchdowns from Aaron Rodgers. However, while the Steelers came out of MetLife Stadium with the victory, it was far from a perfect performance, particularly from the defense.
Former Steelers quarterback Justin Fields was efficient as a passer and was supported by a strong rushing performance from Breece Hall. The Jets as a team totaled 182 yards on the ground.
Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen made it clear in his postgame press conference that he was not happy with the overall performance of the defense despite the victory.
“We played like shit. I am not going to sugarcoat it.” Queen said. “We played like shit. And if we keep playing like that, we’re going to get our ass kicked.”
Queen’s frustration is more than warranted. The Steelers made an effort to improve the run defense after the loss to the Baltimore Ravens in last year’s playoffs, in which the team gave up 299 yards rushing. The struggles continued for Pittsburgh, and one of their defensive leaders has made it clear that significant improvements are needed.
On the bright side for the Steelers’ run defense, rookie first-round pick Derrick Harmon is nearing a return from his knee injury. The rookie should bring an immediate impact to the Steelers’ defensive line.
