Steelers' Defensive Formula Has Been Exposed And Pittsburgh Might Not Have An Answer

For those out there who were hoping for the Pittsburgh Steelers to turn the ship around, especially on defense against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, they were massively disappointed. Pittsburgh fell by a score of 35-25 in the first and possibly only meeting between four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his old team. For the second consecutive week, Rodgers and co. posted 25+ points. Unfortunately for them, the defense, also for the second consecutive week, gave up 30+ points and over 450 yards of total offense. That is not going to get it done against many NFL teams, especially the NFC-leading Packers.

After witnessing the dreadful performance from Pittsburgh's defense, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly spoke via Kaboly + Mack on Monday about how teams around the NFL may have figured out how to own Pittsburgh's defensive unit.

"Teams have figured out the [Steelers'] formula. No doubt about it. The Steelers win because they cause turnovers off their pass-rush and when you get rid of the ball so quickly and make easy throws and easy completions off of it, it takes that part out of the game plan," Kaboly said. The scariest thing about this whole thing is, do you see a fix?"

While Rodgers (104.4 passer rating) is trying his best on the offensive side, Steelers fans cannot expect this team to win games when the defense is continuously giving up over 30 points. As a matter of fact, Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin's unit has allowed at least 30 points in four of the team's first seven games. That hasn't happened since the 2003 season. What is just as tough for Steelers fans to know is that their defense is currently the most expensive in the entire NFL. Led by All-Pro pass-rusher TJ Watt, there are supposed to be stars at every level, but right now, it doesn't feel like it. 

As Kaboly noted, this defense is built on creating turnovers and getting after the passer. On Sunday night, that did not happen. The Steelers recorded no sacks and zero turnovers. If that doesn't happen, the opposing team will likely have the advantage almost every time. That is exactly what happened on Sunday night.

Is There A Fix For Mike Tomlin And The Steelers?

Kaboly also asked if the Steelers had a fix in mind for the way that the defense is performing at the moment. Right now, it seems as if Mike Tomlin and Austin have no answers. While getting after the passer and creating turnovers always help, stopping the run and getting off the field on third down can also help out the Steelers' offense. Right now, the Steelers are ranked 18th in run defense (112.7 yards allowed per game) and 24th in third-down defense (41.8%). This expensive and aging defense needs to get back to the basics. Yes, focusing on sacks and interceptions is great, but holding the opposing offense to a two-yard gain instead of a seven-yard gain helps out too.

This is where the defensive leaders, such as Watt and future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Cam Heyward, have to step up. Then, the likes of linebacker Patrick Queen, as well as Pro Bowl cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, need to follow suit. Now, the road is not going to get any easier as the Steelers will welcome in the only one-loss team in the AFC next week. The Indianapolis Colts are currently averaging 385.3 yards per game on offense. If Tomlin and co. can't find a quick fix soon enough on the defensive side, their time in first place in the AFC North could be over.

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