Steelers Great Ben Roethlisberger Slams Famous Mike Tomlin Motto: "Standard Should Be Shifted"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have shown a lot of concerns defensively during the first two weeks of the 2025 campaign. It seems like the opposition is gaining yards at will, especially in the run game. Kenneth Walker III just gained 105 yards on just 13 carries against Pittsburgh in Week 2, and the New York Jets ran all over the defense to begin the season. If that kind of performance is the standard for the season, the team can kiss its playoff win hopes goodbye already. They need to fix the run defense as soon as possible. 

Former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spoke about that performance on the latest episode of his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. He also talked about how the Steelers would feel about games like that back when he was playing.

"I know that there were seasons when I was there in Pittsburgh where it was like if the [opposing] team had 101 yards [rushing], the defense was mad, no one wanted to talk to anybody," Roethlisberger explained. "I know the standard is the standard, but maybe the standard should be shifted a little bit."

As Roethlisberger also mentioned, the Steelers placed a very high standard on themselves by declaring that this unit could be "historical." Allowing about eight yards per carry to the lead rusher of a team is nowhere near what they think they can be. Acquiring all of these big names means nothing if they can't produce at the level that is expected of them, let alone talking all training camp about how elite they supposedly are. 

Of course, Roethlisberger's career started with one of the greatest defenses in the history of the NFL propping him up. He has personally seen what a historic defense looks like. In fact, his stats in Super Bowl XL could have led to him being benched if it wasn't for the game itself and the defense he had behind him to help him out. He would likely even admit that the 21-10 victory had little to do with him and everything to do with that unstoppable force. 

It makes sense that the Steelers of the 2000s would be extremely angry if they gave up 100+ rushing yards. While the 2020s teams have done a lot of talking, the previous ones kept their heads down for the most part and let their play dictate everything. If they had that kind of rough day defensively, their goal was to make sure it never happened again. Actions speak louder than words, and the current team's actions don't show that they feel that same way. It's also quite possible that they're just simply not good enough. 

Steelers' Delusions Could Hurt Them In The Long Run

Of course, every team thinks highly of themselves, for better or worse. However, as Roethlisberger said, the standard should be shifted a bit. The Steelers clearly are not the superhuman team that they have claimed to be. Instead of talking about how good they are, they need to sit down and watch the tape to figure out how they can actually be that good, which the team has admitted they've done after both games thus far.

Despite everything the players have said, their play has set the true standard. The 2000s teams set a standard of excellence, and anything less was an embarrassment. The 2025 Steelers have reinforced the standard of mediocrity. An improvement from these last two games would be seen with rave reviews with everyone.

Adjustments have to be made. The team can't just hope that opposing offenses stop running away from TJ Watt. It can't hope for free turnovers. The Steelers need to raise the standard, and they can't do it by talking. They have to prove themselves week after week.

What do you think about Roethlisberger's comments on his era's mindset? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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