The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to get back on track in Week 3 with an ugly win over the New England Patriots on the road. Pittsburgh was able to win the game by a score of 21-14 after getting off to a 14-0 start. The offense went dormant after scoring two touchdowns at the beginning of the game, while the defense allowed New England to move the ball down the field while continuing to force turnovers. The defense forced five turnovers on the day, but still managed to give up nearly 370 yards. Pittsburgh's defensive unit showed signs of improvement, but there is still a ways to go.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
One area Pittsburgh's defense seemed to struggle with in Sunday's win over the Patriots was possession downs. These are always a point of emphasis from Head Coach Mike Tomlin whenever he speaks with the media, and it pertains to third and fourth down attempts.
Pittsburgh's defense did not play well enough in those situations despite ending the game by turning New England's offense over on downs. Veteran defender Cam Heyward was asked about these situations after the game during his postgame press conference, and he delivered a somewhat concerning statement.
"I think sometimes we were, you know, not paying attention to our assignments." Heyward said. "Sometimes you can get a little thirsty in there. Think it's just going to be a sneak or two, but then, on the flip side, it can make you susceptible to big passes. We got to have our eyes in the right places, and you know, it's something we can learn from."
There were many scenarios where New England had the ball on third down and Pittsburgh was in position to give the ball back to its offense, but the Patriots were able to convert on third down on six out of their 13 attempts. In addition to that, New England went for it on fourth down five times and got the first down on four occasions. The lone stop was the final defensive play of the game for Pittsburgh.
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Steelers' Darius Slay celebrates on the sideline after a big play against the New England Patriots in Week 3 of the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh's defense showed up when it mattered on fourth down at the end of the game, but the unit was not good in those situations throughout the contest. New England was even able to get the ball into the end zone on a fourth down attempt at the start of the fourth quarter in order to tie the game.
Heyward believes not everyone on the defense was focused on their assignment as players might have been "thirsty" to make a play. This is something that cannot be an issue going forward. It is one thing to get beat in certain situation, but it is another to get beat while having certain players not doing their respective jobs.
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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025 in Foxborough, MA.
Steelers' Defense Is Making Strides In The Right Direction
Pittsburgh's defense was far from perfect in the win over New England, but the defense had its best showing of the 2025 season. The group was able to force five turnovers, six when including the turnover on downs to win the game.
This is a step in the right direction for the unit that has unexpectedly struggled to begin the year. There were many worries regarding the defense, even including the productivity of star outside linebacker TJ Watt. He showed up on Sunday as he was able to sack Drake Maye twice while recovering a fumble.
The Steelers have a long ways to go to get to where they want to be defensively, but at least there has been some progress from the group after a poor showing in the first two games of the 2025 season.
What did you think of Heyward's comments after the game? Let us know in the comments below!
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