The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of blame to go around after a crushing 31-17 Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. A bone-headed mistake on a kickoff return by rookie Kaleb Johnson that extended the Seahawks' lead was a headliner, but the larger concern was the defense yet again. The leader of that unit is of course former Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher TJ Watt, whose presence, or lack thereof, was noticed in the matchup.
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Steelers' TJ Watt looks on during a home game in Pittsburgh.
Watt, usually a consistent force on defense, has had an unusually quiet stretch - not registering a sack in any of his last six games. It's become somewhat of a concerning trend, especially since the team made Watt the highest paid non-quarterback in the National Football League (at the time) during the 2025 offseason.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, in his postgame press conference, spoke on the issues he thinks Watt is having.
"When [opposing teams] are on schedule and they're running the ball effectively, it minimizes your opportunity to get one-dimensional pass rushes, individually and collectively."
It's clear from his statements that Tomlin doesn't believe that the problem is Watt specifically, but rather a symptom of the defense being unable to stop the run. There's certainly a valid point to be made there, but there's also good reason to be concerned about Watt himself. He is now 31-years-old, an age when players, especially at physical positions like edge rushers, can begin to decline.
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Steelers' TJ Watt (90) in a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Still, Tomlin is correct that the team can't stop the run through two weeks of action. Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 105 yards, averaging 8.1 yards per carry.
Steelers' Defensive Struggles Continue in Week 2
The Steelers tout the league's highest paid defense, but you wouldn't know it from their play thus far. The team gave up 31 points against the Seahawks, a week after giving up 32 to the New York Jets.
It’s the first time under Mike Tomlin the Steelers have allowed at least 31 points in the opening two games of the season.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) September 14, 2025
There's something to be said about the fact that the team is replacing around half of the starters on defense, meaning it might take them a bit more time to adjust and learn to effectively communicate. Still, the team must figure it out quickly. Their schedule only gets harder. In 2025, the team will face Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson, among others.
Pittsburgh's offense almost certainly won't be able to keep up with 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm, meaning the defense has to improve, and do so fast.
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Steelers defense celebrates during a game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 of the 2025 season.
Win or lose, there's no doubt that the team needs more from Watt. Tying the sack record in 2021 and winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award means the standard is higher for him, and the rest of the defense feeds off of it. In 2023, Watt missed seven games, and the team went 1-6 in that stretch. When Watt does well, the defense typically does as well. When there's no pressure on the quarterback, the Steelers struggle, and the opposition can pass and run at will.
The Steelers have one total sack through two weeks of games, and obviously, that can't continue. The team wants to have an identity of a strong run game that can control the clock, and a defense that can keep the score low. When neither clicks, things often get ugly. The question becomes whether or not this new-look Steelers team can figure it out with time and experience playing together, as they've done time and time again, or whether this is the year that things really bottom out.
What do you think of the Steelers' defensive performance through two weeks of the regular season? Let us know in the comments below!
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