The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night in what was the team's second loss in a row. It dropped Pittsburgh to 4-3 after getting off to a 4-1 start, and the franchise's lead in the AFC North has begun to stagnate. Pittsburgh needs to find some solutions on the defensive side of the ball as the same issues are happening week in and week out, but it doesn't seem like anything is being done to fix the problems. The defense is currently holding the team back, which is disappointing considering the amount of resources that have been poured into that side of the ball.
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Steelers' TJ Watt runs by fans during pregame warmups ahead of a Week 8 matchup with the Green Bay Packers during the 2025 season.
The Steelers came into the 2025 season with high expectations for the defense, and the group has not reached anywhere close to the level that was expected. Offenses are doing whatever they want to Pittsburgh, which completely goes against everything the Steelers want to be as a football team. The secondary in particular has struggled as there have been several busts in coverage and there seems to be constant confusion amongst the defensive players. Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the media after the game on Sunday night and he was asked about whether or not he would consider making any changes to the secondary.
"I'm open to doing whatever it is that we need to do schematically or from a personnel standpoint to improve this," Tomlin said. "Certainly."
This likely means Tomlin will look into making personnel changes, schematic changes, while General Manager Omar Khan could even call around the league seeking help on the trade market before the deadline rolls around on November 4th. Either way, the fan base wants to see some changes. It doesn't even matter if serious improvements are seen, but the Steelers continuing to do the same thing while expecting to get different results has grown tiresome.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin during a regular season game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025 in Foxborough, MA.
It is hard to say if Tomlin would consider making any dramatic changes to try to help the secondary. Firing Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin is something many Steelers fans have wanted for several seasons now, so maybe that could be an option if another bad defensive performance is seen in Week 9. Austin has been horrible in 2025, and the sooner he is gone, the better the defensive unit might actually be.
Other changes could be some personnel moves, like benching cornerback Darius Slay -- which was something that seemed to happen on Sunday night as Jalen Ramsey started on the outside in Pittsburgh's base defense. Slay came onto the field in obvious passing situations when Pittsburgh was in nickel and dime. More changes to the starting lineup could be made, but Pittsburgh doesn't have a ton of options at safety after DeShon Elliott went down with a knee injury.
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Steelers' DeShon Elliott makes a physical tackle during a win over the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 season.
Steelers' Secondary Has A Tough Test Coming In Week 9
Pittsburgh has no choice but to bounce back in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts, but that is going to be hard to do. The Colts are the best offense in the league as they lead the NFL in yards gained and points scored, and the group can do it on the ground and through the air. They currently have the league's leading rusher, and quarterback Daniel Jones is playing like an MVP candidate. It is very unlikely that the Steelers will be able to pull off the upset, but it would just be nice to see some fight from the defense in a game against the top team in the AFC. Pittsburgh is desperate to get back in the win column, but that feels like a tall task in Week 9.
What do you think are some changes Tomlin might consider? Let us know in the comments below!
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