The Pittsburgh Steelers arguably played the best game of their 2025 season in Week 9. The Indianapolis Colts were at the top of many analysts' power rankings, but that didn't matter. A 27-20 win in the Steel City seemed to get the team back on track. It was a much-needed strong performance, particularly from the defense. The unit had been facing intense scrutiny for not living up to the hype that it generated in training camp and the preseason. Teryl Austin's collective will look to build off of the solid outing as the franchise has a very tough schedule ahead with all matchups being big ones.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin smiles on the field as the players get a workout in during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers' defense forced six turnovers, which set up the offense in great position several times throughout the contest. Two fields goals were still settled for, and that ended up making the final score seem much closer than the majority of the game was. Pittsburgh will continue to have doubters if it can't win football games when Austin's group doesn't get a handful of turnovers.
Ben Roethlisberger was in attendance at the game as the franchise celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the Super Bowl XL victory. On the most recent episode of his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast, he had a lot to talk about regarding the win. His co-host, Spencer Te'o, asked if it was concerning that it was just a one-score situation once the clock hit zero.
"I would say our offense wasn't maybe as sharp as they could have been," Roethlisberger said. "I would think if you were to tell me, 'Hey Ben, predict the score of this game.' Okay give me some scenarios. 'The Steelers won't turn the ball over,' because I don't think we turned the ball over, I don't think. I don't remember if we did. 'Steelers won't turn the ball over. Colts are going to turn it over six times, what's the score?'"
Roethlisberger did not remember that Roman Wilson fumbled while attempting to hurdle a defender late in the game, but regardless, the point he made next still stands. Pittsburgh dominated the contest in every way, and a turnover ratio of plus five, despite the future Hall of Famer believing it was six, should not result in a one-score game at the end of the day.
"I'd probably tell you we'd win by minimum, 14 [points]. Minimum, 35-7, would be [my guess]. I'd tell you it's going to be a blowout. So, yeah, that would be a little bit concerning. At the end of the day, a win's a win. You're going to take it. So, yes, if the turnover ratio is six, you expect a big win. I just think our offense wasn't quite as sharp."
Roethlisberger brings up a fair point. The defense absolutely dominated finishing up with six takeaways, but the game seems to have been much closer if the average fan looks at the box score. One bad play along the way could have ended in disaster for the Steelers, which is something Head Coach Mike Tomlin should make sure to acknowledge with his team.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Pittsburgh has defeated some good teams so far in 2025, but relying on turnovers specifically may not be a perfect recipe for success. Roethlisberger noted this as being a small concern.
"My concern is, can we win without getting a ton of turnovers," Roethlisberger asked. "Six turnovers, you have to win. You have to win with six turnovers. It's almost impossible not to win."
There are some high-powered offenses remaining on the Steelers' schedule. Every win matters down the stretch, but it would be nice to not need so many takeaways on a week-to-week basis. They are awesome to have, but it's not realistic for four, five, or even six, to occur every game day. It's something that fans should be on the lookout for moving forward.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter/ X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin yells in the direction of one of his players as the team warms up prior to a professional football game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Still Need Defense To Be More Consistent
Stringing together several dominant performances in a row will be a very encouraging sign for Pittsburgh. That has yet to be the case, which is why no one should be sold just yet on the ability of Austin's unit to be so stout each week. It would also be a positive if the team can come up with a win or two that doesn't revolve around the opposition making so many mistakes.
Do you think the Steelers are relying on splash defensive plays too much? Let us know in the comments below!
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