Steelers' Brandin Echols Makes It Clear The Coaching Staff Needs To Be Better

The Pittsburgh Steelers went on the road to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears. Many Steelers fans viewed this game as a much-needed opportunity to secure a win because the schedule only gets more difficult from this point forward. The team faced a challenging situation, as they were without their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Mason Rudolph stepped in to lead the offense and delivered a performance that could be considered respectable under the circumstances. The Steelers were in position to control the game at multiple points and had chances to pull ahead, but in the end, the Bears emerged with a narrow 31-28 victory. For many fans, the close loss was frustrating because the team had shown enough on both sides of the ball to believe a win was possible.

The defensive performance was especially disappointing and left fans shaking their heads. At times, the unit appeared disorganized, allowing the Bears to exploit gaps and capitalize on mistakes. Missed tackles, blown coverages, and a lack of communication on the field gave Chicago opportunities that the Steelers could not recover from. While the offense, led by Rudolph, showed flashes of potential, the defensive struggles were too significant to ignore. The loss highlighted that the team is capable of competing in tight games, but they are not yet consistent enough to close out games when they are in a position to win. Many fans walked away from Soldier Field concerned about whether the defense can reliably perform against the tough opponents the Steelers will face in the coming weeks.

The Steelers showed enough talent and skill to suggest that they are not far from getting back on track, but the loss emphasized the importance of cohesion and accountability. It also set the stage for the team to hear directly from key leaders such as TJ Watt and Cam Heyward about what adjustments are necessary. However it was cornerback Brandin Echols who addressed the media on Monday, providing insight into what the team sees as priorities for improvement.

"Just communication, that's the number one thing," Echols said during his Monday media availability. "Everybody [being] detailed in what they doing. Everybody's just doing they jobs."

Following the game, attention turned to what the team can do to improve and address the issues exposed against the Bears. It became clear that communication and execution must be strengthened across the roster. 

In the mind of Echols, players and coaches alike will need to identify the mistakes that cost the team and develop strategies to prevent them in future matchups. 

"We just gotta be better," Echols said. "If it is from a player standpoint or a coach standpoint, we just gotta be better altogether. They just caught us in a situation where we wasn't picking up the guy in the area and they capitalized on it."

Steelers Out Of Position Against Bears In Week 12 Matchup

Echols kept it relatively simple. The Bears were able to take advantage of situations where the Steelers were not picking up the right players in their areas, and Head Coach Ben Johnson capitalized on it. 

Echols believes both the coaches and players need to be better, and he is not wrong. The question remains: can the Steelers turn things around on defense and make it a true strength for this team as the season progresses?

Steelers fans, do you agree with Brandin Echols that the team’s issues come down to communication and everyone doing their jobs or do you think there is a bigger problem? How much blame do you place on the players versus the coaching staff? 

Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me. I will respond!

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