Steelers' Usual Weakness Credited After Great Debut From New Safety Kyle Dugger

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to get back in the win column on Sunday as the group was able to take down the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts entered the day with the best record in the NFL, but the Steelers were able to pull off the upset as the defense forced six turnovers and kept the Indianapolis offense at bay for most of the day. The defense is what has been worrisome for Pittsburgh throughout the 2025 season as the group has been inconsistent and just downright bad at times, but hopefully Sunday's performance turns things around for good.

There was a new addition on the field for the Steelers during their matchup with the Colts. Safety Kyle Dugger was brought in via trade earlier in the week, and he was entrusted with a fairly large role almost immediately. This was due to the knee injury to DeShon Elliott, as well as the fact that Jabrill Peppers and Chuck Clark were also ruled out. 

This forced Dugger to ingratiate himself into the Pittsburgh defense as quickly as possible, and he seemed to be able to do that. He spoke with the media after the win, where he shared how he was able to play a significant role right after being traded.

"I think it had everything to do with my coaches and my teammates making things [work], the terminology as far as like what l used to play and matching it up and marrying it up for me and simplifying it in meetings." Dugger said. "Then, communicating on the field in practice. Every rep counted and just put in a ton of work. Talking to them every play made it simple for me."

Dugger credited solid communication with his teammates for helping make the transition go smoothly. Some fans were shocked to him on the field so soon, but the only difference in getting traded when playing in the secondary is usually the terminology. Coverages are the same across the NFL for the most part, and each system has its own little wrinkles. The coaching staff likely kept things simple this week, which also helped Dugger make an immediate impact.

Communication on defense, especially in the secondary, has usually been a problem for the Steelers. Over the last couple of weeks there were several instances where players seemed confused, or there were coverage busts due to what seemed to be poor communication. That issue has been remedied, and that is especially true since someone who was on a different team a week ago was able to step in and not miss a beat.

Dugger was on the field for 77 defensive snaps for Pittsburgh, which was just over 98 percent of the available snaps. He got involved with some tackles, but he help up well in coverage, which is what Pittsburgh needed. The defense had been gashed through the air over the last two weeks, and the Steelers were able to take a step forward against Indianapolis. 

The box score doesn't look as good as it truly was as the Colts were able to pad their stats in garbage time, but the Steelers and Dugger were able to put together the team's best defensive performance of the year.

Steelers May Have Uncovered Communication Issues

Ahead of the game against Indianapolis, safety Clark ruled out due to an injury. Juan Thornhill was healthy and available, but he only got onto the field for special teams. Those were two staples in the secondary for the Steelers in 2025, and the first game that neither played a role on defense, the communication issues seemed to be minimal. If it can be determined that that was the case by the coaching staff, it might be hard for either Thornhill or Clark to get back on the field on defense.

What do you think about Dugger's comments following the game? Let us know in the comments below!

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