The Pittsburgh Steelers have been catching a lot of heat from everyone outside of the building, and the only way to simmer it down is to have a quality defensive performance against possibly the best team in the NFL. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin have been the primary targets for all this criticism, as they are the ones who mainly run the unit together. Even though their roles in terms of play-calling and game-planning are constantly questioned, they both have a large say in what happens on the field every week.
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Steelers coaches Mike Tomlin (left), Karl Dunbar (middle) and Teryl Austin (right) stand on the sideline during a home game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
During a media availability for the players, defensive back Jalen Ramsey was asked about the team's ability to go to Austin to request adjustments or changes. He gave a clear explanation of the dynamic between coach and player in this scenario.
"We have communication for sure," Ramsey said. "But at the end of the day, he’s the DC, he’s the authority. He makes the calls, and we got to go execute."
That coach/player communication likely comes when the defense is off the field, and definitely during team meetings. Maybe the players could help explain what they want to do more on the field, but once it's gametime, the "authority" calls the plays out, and it's up to everyone else to execute.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin goes over some notes with his players in practice in Pittsburgh, PA.
Even if there is some communication between coach and player during the game, there should definitely be more on the sidelines. The Steelers have been known to be somewhat lackluster when it comes to in-game adjustments, and it results in awful second-half performances like in Week 8 on primetime, when every single part of the defense got absolutely exposed on national television.
While Austin is the one that calls the plays, he is not running his own defense. He is working with Tomlin's defense, so he needs to be a part of this communication as well. If the head coach is going to be highly involved in any part of the team, he can't just seemingly leave all the communicating to his coordinator and hope that they figure out how to run his scheme effectively. He needs to do some listening as well.
Of course, the players are not going to come out and bash their coaches publicly. That would only cause drama in the locker room and potentially lead to some sort of benching, whether it's temporary or permanent. In the end, it's everyone's fault that this unit has been one of the worst in the NFL. Pointing fingers at anyone but themselves would only make all of these issues worse.
Gene J. Puskar / ap photo
Pittsburgh Steelers' Jalen Ramsey speaks with Mike Tomlin on the sideline during a home game in 2025.
Even with rumors starting to swirl about Tomlin losing the locker room, putting all the blame on him would do nothing good for the collective. Sure, he could blame himself, but no one else but him can say that publicly. They still are currently in first place in the AFC North, and they control their own destiny. If they want to defy the odds and make that big playoff run, they need to come together as a collective and figure things out.
Steelers' Communication Is Once Again Under Fire
The Steelers seem to have miscommunication problems all the time. This time, instead of it being player to player, it seems like the communication between coach and player could be a lot better. It all starts with the top. If the coaching staff cannot get through to the players, they won't be able to get through to each other on the field. Everything trickles down, and it somewhat explains the issues on the field.
What do you think about Ramsey's explanation of the player/coach dynamic? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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