Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers legend James Harrison did not hold back on the Steelers’ embarrassing defensive performance in Thursday night’s 33-31 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
“With the 26th, 28th ranked defense, we’re not gonna go nowhere,” Harrison said Friday on his Deebo and Joe podcast. “These offenses we’re gonna face in the next four, five weeks, they ain’t turning the rock over like that. They’re doing things more effective than anybody that we’ve played yet to date. If we come out there playing like we’ve been playing the last six, seven weeks, we’re gonna get the band struck up on us. We’re gonna get embarrassed. They’re gonna dog walk us. Drop your nuts. Put your foot in the ground. Stand for something. We can’t even bust a grape in a fruit fight right now. Right now, we trash. Flacco went out there and pulled a belt out on our ass. Put belt to ass.”
The Steelers simply had no answer for Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in Thursday night’s loss, as the All-Pro hauled in 16 reception on a whopping 23 targets for 161 yards (10.1 average) and a touchdown. His 16 receptions set a Bengals franchise record. It was also the most catches ever allowed by the Steelers.
“I didn’t even know I had 16 (catches), if I’m being honest,” Chase said afterward. “I thought I had, like, nine. … It didn’t feel like that many.”
Chase’s 23 targets were the most by a player in a single game this season and tied for the ninth-most all-time.
Chase revealed after the game that he wasn’t surprised with the Steelers’ scheme or matchup in front of him.
“I had a lot of man. They doubled on third down, for real, trying to mix it up a little bit, but they did exactly what we (were) expecting and hoping they’d do,” Chase said. “We knew they was gonna put Joey (Porter Jr.) on Tee and Jalen on me. We knew that. We was ready for it and we was gonna take advantage of those opportunities.”
Chase caught a career-high eight passes for 76 yards and a TD against man coverage and eight passes for 85 yards against zone in Week 6, according to Next Gen Stats. No other player has gained 75 yards against both coverage types in any game this season.
It wasn’t only the Bengals’ highly-talented wide receivers that gave the Steelers fits. Even the Bengals’ worst ranked rush offense racked up big numbers.
“I think they were last in rushing, and — the way we gave it up today — that takes the cake,” Steelers captain Cam Heyward said.
The Bengals were averaging 68.9 rushing yards per game entering the Thursday night clash, the fewest in the NFL. Chase Brown’s 108 rushing yards were more than double what he had in any other game through the first six weeks. He averaged 9.8 yards per carry against the Steelers.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: [Steelers Legend Blasts Defensive...
