Steelers Safety Juan Thornhill Still Has Strong Belief In Pittsburgh's Defense: "A Couple Plays Away"

After a busy offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2025 campaign with high expectations and ambitious goals. Omar Khan and company added big-name playmakers while securing returning stars with new contracts. With those moves, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his staff anticipated a historic defensive performance in 2025, however, through the first seven weeks, the unit has been everything but that. One Steelers defender recently told the media that Pittsburgh's defensive unit is a couple of bounces away from performing at an elite level.

With trades, free agency, and the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers built one of their most talented defenses in years, but that talent hasn't exactly led to results so far in 2025. Through six games, the Steelers are 28th in yards allowed per game, 31st in passing yards allowed per game, 18th in rush yards allowed per game, and 19th in points allowed per game. Although the Steelers did show some improvement during their wins in Weeks 3, 4, and 6, all momentum and confidence came crashing down during their Week 7 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.

While speaking to the media on Thursday, safety Juan Thornhill explained how his optimism about the Steelers' defense is still high, even after a disappointing outing against the Bengals. Thornhill insists that the unit is still close to fulfilling its potential, claiming it boils down to small, correctable mistakes that have impacted their play.

“[We're] literally a couple plays away,” Thornhill said. “If we eliminate the small, little mistakes that we had, we’ll be good.”

The Steelers allowed 470 total yards of offense against the Bengals, including 342 passing yards from Joe Flacco and 161 receiving yards from Ja'Marr Chase. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect from Week 7's loss was the fact that the Steelers' offense was able to give the team the lead with just over two minutes left, but the defense couldn't get one stop to secure the win.

For a team that prides itself on defense, that’s been the most discouraging part of this season. Whether it’s a missed tackle, a blown coverage, or a lack of communication, the defense just hasn’t been able to play consistent football for four quarters. Thornhill and his teammates know that the numbers don’t lie, but they also believe they’re not far off from turning things around.

Much of this season’s defensive inconsistency can be traced back to the Steelers’ extensive roster changes this offseason. Pittsburgh revamped nearly every layer of its defensive unit. Up front, they released veterans like Larry Ogunjobi and Montravius Adams while drafting newcomers such as Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black. In the secondary, the team traded away Minkah Fitzpatrick and brought in high-profile veterans including Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, and Thornhill. Even though the linebacker corps experienced relatively fewer changes, the team parted ways with inside linebacker Elandon Roberts.

These changes were designed to elevate the Steelers’ defensive performance, yet the results have been mixed. While the team has displayed flashes of elite playmaking, the defense has lacked consistency from week to week. Discipline and focus have emerged as key challenges, with assignments occasionally being mismanaged and communication breaking down at critical moments. Thornhill emphasized that fixing these small errors could quickly bring the unit back to the level it’s capable of.

Steelers' Defense Will Face Tough Test On Sunday Night

Thornhill indicated that upcoming games, such as the matchup against the Green Bay Packers, could provide a clearer picture of where the defense truly stands and how much progress remains necessary. The Packers are near the top of league in numerous different offenses categories. Their rushing attack with Josh Jacobs accompanied with the improving passing attack from Jordan Love has made the Packers' offense one of the toughest to stop this year. 

How do you think the Steelers' defense will fare against the Packers? Let us know in the comments!

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