Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen revealed during his media availability on Thursday that the defense gathered for a crucial meeting after the Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The defense proceed to allow 249 yards rushing to the Buffalo Bills in an embarrassing 26-7 loss, but Queen thinks that meeting played a big part in the defensive turnaround in the last two games.
“It was just basically, like, ‘if you got something to say, say it,’” Queen said. “Guys just say what they have to say. It wasn’t, like, a ‘Come to Jesus’ moment or, like, everybody just chewing each other out. It was just like, ‘Hey, this is how I see something.’ (And someone else saying), ‘This is how I see something.’ And then, everybody was like, ‘Hey, how about we all just do this?’
“So it was just like a little bit of everybody just chiming in, saying what they had to say.”
Queen said the Bills game was the last straw.
“We started turning in the right direction and Buffalo was just like, the last straw,” Queen said. “Everybody got off what they needed to get off. And everybody was basically right. Everybody was saying the same exact thing. That we just gotta be accountable and do our job.”
Queen feels like everyone is on the same page now and the flow of communication is on point.
“I think it gives a little bit of confidence because (now) everybody knows they feel the same way,” Queen said. “It’s not just, ‘Hey, I see this, and I’m keeping it in my head,’ and then (someone else says), ‘I’m seeing the same thing, I’m keeping it in my head,’ and everybody’s seeing the same thing, but nobody’s saying nothing.
“So, it got to the point that you could feel the tension in the room. And everybody who needed to say something, said something. And it’s been flowing right ever since.
“I just feel like some things could have been putting us in a better position. “And [Teryl Austin] felt that, as well. So it just came to the point where we just had to get on the same page about things, and how I see it and how he sees it.”
Queen received flak from former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex during the Bills game. Essex stated, “I’m over the Patrick Queen experiment.” Queen clapped back at Essex, saying he was never a Pro Bowler or made All-Pro and got carried his whole career back and forth from the bench.
Queen responded in a big way in the Steelers’ 27-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14. Queen showed lot of heart playing through a glute injury. He said after the game he was basically playing on one leg.
“I thrived. I had a little hiccup here and there, but I made it through,” Queen said.
Queen was motivated to get back in the game after leaving to get treatment.
“I was just trying to...
