Steelers 160 Million Dollar Star Blasted By NFL Great: "Has Anybody Found TJ Watt"

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a disappointing performance on Thursday night on the road against the rival Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh fell by a score of 33-31, which might not be the score many people were expecting. While four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers' offense put up 31 points and showed how electric that side of the ball can be, Head Coach Mike Tomlin's defense surrendered those aforementioned 33 points and 470 total yards of offense to the Bengals.

While Pittsburgh was able to get two sacks on Bengals veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, those were essentially the only positives on defense that came from the loss. This defensive performance has caused a lot of the defensive players on the Steelers to be called out publicly, including starting edge-rusher and former Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt.

Philadelphia Eagles legend and former All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy had this to say specifically about Watt's performance during a podcast appearance on SPEAKEASY:

"In the fourth quarter, I made a call to the police. Has anybody found TJ Watt? Did he play today? You got a 40-year-old quarterback in the backfield that can't move a lick, and I see no pressure. T.J. Watt, you made a big deal about getting paid this offseason, and you ain't played at all today."

It's evident that a former player is on Watt's case, but fans also may begin to express frustration about the edge rusher's lack of consistency in the team's last eight or so games.

The simple fact of the matter is that Watt's performance, along with that of the entire Pittsburgh defense, was not what the fans of the Steelers are used to seeing. Flacco ended up throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bengals' offense ended up recording 27 first downs. This was the third game this season that saw defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's unit give up 30 or more points. 

There have only been six games. That is not a good sign for an organization that is used to producing elite defenses year in and year out. While Watt himself has had a fine start to the season with four sacks and 10 quarterback hits, he had a less-than-ideal performance on Thursday night.'

Steelers Need To Button Up The Team's Defense

Now is not the time for Watt and co. to string together bad defensive performances. After squandering a chance to get to a record of 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the AFC North, the divisional race has tightened up. On the horizon for the Steelers are several first-place teams in the Green Bay Packers (home), Indianapolis Colts (home), and Los Angeles Chargers (away). After having to face them, Pittsburgh will welcome in the Bengals again.

Currently ranked in the bottom half of the league in yards allowed, passing defense, rushing defense, and scoring defense, now is the time for the Steelers' defense to flip the script. If they don't, it could get ugly over the next couple of weeks.

The good news for the team is that the offense is performing beyond expectations. Rodgers and Co. have put up a total of 80 points over the last three weeks, with Rodgers posting four games with a passer rating of over 100. The future Hall of Fame signal-caller is utilizing every position group on offense, especially the tight end group, which caught all four of his touchdown passes in Thursday night's loss. Running back Jaylen Warren is also on pace for over 1,400 scrimmage yards.

With the way that the offense is performing, Steelers fans should feel like their team can stay in every single game. However, if it wants to find a way to go on a deep playoff run, the defense is going to have to take a massive step forward. It will fall on veterans such as Watt, Cameron Heyward, Patrick Queen, Jalen Ramsey, and Darius Slay to help get this side of the ball right. In an all-in season, the consequences could be brutal if improvements are not made.

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