Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t created a takeaway in nearly a month. They don’t want to make a habit out of being unable to force opponents into mistakes, but it’s becoming one.
“We haven’t gotten any turnovers the last three games,” Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said after Sunday night’s 35-25 loss to the visiting Green Bay Packers. “For us, that’s what we do. We create turnovers, we create havoc, and so we haven’t done that these past couple games. We’ve gotta get back to Steeler football.”
The last time the Steelers failed to take the ball away from three consecutive opponents was during an October 2022 stretch against Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home in Kenny Pickett’s second career start, a Sunday night loss at the Miami Dolphins and a drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles after that.
The Steelers fell to 2-6 with the defeat across the state and finished 9-8, missing the postseason. While it might not feel quite as bleak right now, things are going downhill for Mike Tomlin’s team, especially being that safety DeShon Elliott might have suffered a serious knee injury in the loss to the Packers.
So how exactly does this reeling defense return to the Steelers’ way?
#Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. says what everyone else in Pittsburgh is thinking: pic.twitter.com/obvYdxAZVe
— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe) October 27, 2025
“Really the little things that all come together,” cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said. “Just finishing to the ball, punching out the ball, trying to make stops, trying to make plays. We’ve gotta play that Steelers defense where we make plays and (force) turnovers. We haven’t really been doing that lately, and we’ve gotta get back to that.”
Inside linebacker and green-dot defender Patrick Queen believes it could be a matter of wanting it more.
“I think we just gotta hunt it, hunt it more,” Queen said. “I think there’s opportunities there. … I think guys’ eyes (are) in the right spot. Guys flying to the ball, doing the things that we do at a high level. Get back to that and I think we will get the ball.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Where’s the Splash? Vital Part of Steelers’ Defensive Game Plan MIA
