Steelers' Defense Gets Ultimate Reality Check From Legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger

It was quite stunning for Pittsburgh Steelers fans everywhere when Joe Flacco led the Cincinnati Bengals to a dominant performance in Week 7. The Thursday Night Football contest ended by a score of 33-31, which is not what many were expecting. Ja'Marr Chase had one of the best games of his impressive career, which has led many to criticize the defensive scheme that Pittsburgh brought into the matchup. The bright side after the game was that an Aaron Rodgers-led offense played pretty well yet again, leading to some more excitement in the Steel City.

With the Green Bay Packers coming to town for a Week 8 primetime matchup, a lot of focus will be on Rodgers facing his old team. That is a surprise to no one given the future Hall of Fame quarterback's phenomenal time with the organization that drafted him, but both sides will be turning their attention to winning the game, rather than media talking points.

After losing to the Bengals, it is fair to be cautiously optimistic about the offense, while being down on the highest-paid defense in the league. The Steelers need to do something about the inconsistencies, which is something that falls on Mike Tomlin's scheme. Pittsburgh's own legendary signal-caller in Ben Roethlisberger recently explained on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, that the offensive side of the ball isn't the problem right now for Pittsburgh.

"Right now, the Steelers' offense is clicking," Roethlisberger stated. "I know they're scoring 30. Everybody's getting involved. People are talking, 'You need another receiver.' Maybe, but right now, the offense isn't the issue."

The Steelers' defense has allowed over 30 points three times in 2025, and has not been playing up to what expectations were entering the year. Tomlin and co. were extremely excited to revamp the unit a good deal, but it appears that the growing pains are still occurring. As the season moves along and opposing offenses get tougher, it's something that has to get fixed. Roethlisberger noted that some areas of the team are improving, but on the offensive side.

"The line is getting better. The offense is playing well. [Jaylen] Warren is running well. I mean, right now, again, I'll say this, the offense isn't the issue," Roethlisberger noted.

It has been nice to watch Jaylen Warren run behind several tight ends and a line that is slowly progressing, but Rodgers shouldn't be expected to carry a team to 30 or more points on a weekly basis just to bail the defense out, especially for a group that is paid so handsomely. Moving forward, things are going to need to change, as Roethlisberger was noting on his podcast.

Communication has been a constant theme for Pittsburgh's defense since several lapses in that department occurred at the end of the 2024 season. Those same issues appeared to come back and bite the Steelers in Cincinnati.

Chase, arguably the most talented receiver in football, was all over the place. The defense for the Steelers was not on the same page, leading to several unfortunate plays that went in the Bengals' favor.

Steelers Can't Afford For The Defense To Ruin The 2025 Season

It's clear that Pittsburgh has found something in Rodgers, even if he is just a one-year rental at quarterback. He has the offense playing well, as Roethlisberger noted, but there are three phases of each football game. The defense has, without a doubt, been the most inconsistent as Week 8 rolls around, so Tomlin and co. need to figure out a way for the unit to get back to winning each snap, without having too many mistakes in the process.

Do you think that the Steelers' defense is going to figure it out? Let us know in the comments below!

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