"You've Lost A Little Bit Of That": Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Claims Pittsburgh No Longer Scares Opponents

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise that is going through a transformative phase as the organization heads into the 2025 offseason. The team has been extremely successful throughout the 21st century, but the fan base has grown tired of the constant shortcomings in the postseason. The Steelers have always been known for their defense, and during the 2000s and 2010s, the unit was able to carry the team for the most part. Now, Pittsburgh has the highest paid defense in the NFL, but the unit underperformed to finish the 2024 season, which resulted in a season-ending five-game losing streak.

The Steelers’ defense has always been highly regarded throughout the history of the franchise. The unit kickstarted the dynasty during the 1970s, and it was a big reason for the two Super Bowl victories during the 2000s as well. The group during the late-2010s was a big reason the league decided to take player safety more seriously, as teams around the league feared Pittsburgh. That is simply not the case anymore, which former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shared on the most recent episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger.

"I used to joke that we'd be up three or four points before a game even started because people are like, 'Man, we're about to get hit in the mouth by these guys.'" Roethlisberger said. "I think that you've lost a little bit of that in the sense that, you know, do you think that the Steeler team, that every single time someone comes in, like you're not going to run for 100 yards? That was like a known thing, you weren't running for 100 yards on our defense."

Roethlisberger was referring back to the defenses that he played with and won Super Bowls with, and how there is a stark difference between that unit and the one in Pittsburgh today. It was incredibly difficult to have success running the football against players like Casey Hampton, James Farrior, and Brett Keisel. The organization pours so many resources into the defense currently, yet there are still multiple weeks out of the season where they get gashed on the ground.

Roethlisberger insinuated that teams do not fear the Steelers’ defense like they used to. Teams used to have to scratch and claw to gain a single yard, while in 2024, it seemed like there were certain situations where the defense simply gave up. During Pittsburgh's playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at the end of the 2024 season, the Ravens were able to rush for 299 yards. This never would have been the case on the defense of old, while in 2024, the defense gave up over 100 yards on the ground seven times during the regular season.

Once the 2024 season turned bad and the team began to lose their final stretch of games, it seemed like a bit of pride left the unit. That is completely unacceptable for the highest-paid defense in the league. It used to mean something to be a part of the defense in Pittsburgh, but now that feeling has seemed to have gone away.

Steelers Do Not Have The Players In The Locker Room To Hold Each Other Accountable

Back when Pittsburgh's defense was so successful during the 2000s, there were players at every level of the defense leading the pack. Hampton, Farrior, Ike Taylor, and several others were key leaders of the unit that held their colleagues to a high standard. This is something the Steelers’ defense is missing. Cam Heyward is the longest-tenured player on the team and is the obvious leader of the unit, but everyone else seems to be relatively quiet and reserved. 

The Steelers’ defense needs to regain some pride, while also getting the proper leaders into the locker room if no one else will step up. The organization pours too much money into that side of the ball for it to perform the way it did to end the 2024 season. 

What do you think of Roethlisberger's comments? Let us know in the comments below!

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