Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Gets Overly Critical Of Certain Moves On Pittsburgh's Coaching Staff

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a coaching staff that has been under fire for the better part of a decade. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and that is completely unacceptable in the city of Pittsburgh. He has done a good job of keeping his team competitive during the regular season, but things are usually falling apart by the time the postseason rolls around. He has made questionable hires over the years on his staff, while also keeping certain coaches around for far too long. All of this has hurt the team in some way, and there will be a prime example of that on display in Week 4.

It hasn't seemed like there has been any real hope of Pittsburgh advancing in the playoffs ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. The Steelers repeating the same process year after year has grown tiresome for the fan base. Now, the Steelers are going to potentially see one of their former coaches pick them apart during their Week 4 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings who have Brian Flores on staff as their defensive coordinator. Roethlisberger had some thoughts on this during the most recent episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger.

"I'm afraid of our line, that they're not gonna get it done," Roethlisberger said. "And Flores is gonna take advantage of it, because he's a very good defensive coordinator. He knows what he's doing. We never should have let him go, and he's gonna find a way to attack."

Flores was in Pittsburgh as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach during the 2022 season, and some fans wanted him to stick around. It was known he was going to have opportunities elsewhere when the season ended, and he landed the job as the defensive coordinator in Minnesota. Things have gone well there for him, but fans in Pittsburgh still wish he was on the sidelines for Pittsburgh as the defense is not playing up to expectations under Teryl Austin and Tomlin.

Flores has also discussed his upcoming matchup with his former team, and he expressed a lot of gratitude for his time in Pittsburgh. He was hired by Tomlin and the Steelers during the 2022 offseason just weeks after he filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL and specific teams in the league for discrimination. It was looking like he would certainly be out of a job in 2022 while that got settled, but Tomlin chose to bring him on staff in Pittsburgh.

The defensive coach was poached from Pittsburgh after just one season, and he is now one of the best in the league at what he does. Minnesota ranked first in turnovers during the 2024 season while also ranking in the top five in total points allowed. His defense plays well, and it is in large part due to his innovation and creativity as a play-caller.

Steelers Could Still Regret Letting Brian Flores Walk

Pittsburgh still had Austin as its defensive coordinator in 2022, but it has always been fairly clear that when the defense plays well, it is because of the talent on that side of the ball. Austin has never been the type of coach or play-caller that could change the game in a positive manner due to a specific concept, disguise, or play design the league has never seen before. Flores does have the ability to do that, which is why fans are frustrated that he is not the current defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh.

Roethlisberger is nervous about this matchup in Ireland, and he is leaning towards Minnesota in the game. He cites the defense and Flores as a big reason why, which is unfortunate for fans.

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

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