Steelers' Patrick Queen Hears The Noise And Is Ready For A Huge Bounce Back Game In Week 5

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 4 defeat against the Cleveland Browns was shattering for fans, but how the team tackled collectively made it even worse. The defense missed tackles all over the field and couldn't stop the Browns in the most important moments. Defenders took heavy heat for the performance, with TJ Watt and Cam Heyward animated on the sideline and yelling into the headset. No player took more shots than linebacker Patrick Queen, who had arguably one of his worst games as a Steeler. 

Several former Steelers players spoke out about their displeasure with the linebacker's performance, with some even saying he was making business decisions on the field. Queen is supposed to lead the defense as the man patrolling the middle, but so far his play has been far too inconsistent. 

Queen's season is going as well as the past two. He had a great showing against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4, then followed it with arguably his worst, continuing his inconsistent trend. One insider believes this cycle will continue, with Queen bouncing back against the Indianapolis Colts. With Jonathan Taylor coming to town, the Steelers have a tough task of slowing him down. 

Ray Fittipaldo of the Post-Gazette recently appeared on 93.7 The Fan to discuss Queen's Week 5 bounce-back. The insider says Queen is very aware of what people are saying about him on social media and thinks he could ball out against the Colts. 

"Well, Patrick is a guy who's very aware of what's said about him on social media, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if he went out and balled out this week," Fittipaldo stated. "I heard what [Chris Hoke] said about him, and there were some other former Steelers... said he was making some business decisions. You know, some of those plays didn't look good, but he's a proud guy and I don't think he's a guy even though he's in the last year of his contract, I don't think he's a guy who's going to be out there doing that every week... To answer your question, I think, yeah. I think Patrick Queen will respond. He's a proud player, and I wouldn't expect a second bad game in a row like that."

Queen joined the Steelers after previously playing for their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens. He received the biggest contract at the time for a Steelers free agent, and his inconsistencies make the contract rather questionable. When Queen is on, he's been great, but his bad games have been awful, and they come too often. Hopefully he can bounce back against Taylor and the Colts' rushing attack. 

Recent history has been kind to the Steelers when facing the Colts. In the past 10 years, Pittsburgh is 6-2 against Indianapolis. With a struggling Daniel Jones and limited depth at wide receiver, Week 5 is a huge opportunity not only for Queen to get back on track, but for the entire defense. The defensive line struggled to generate pressure against the Browns, but with Jones' play, they can wreak havoc. 

Steelers' Defense Needs A Bounce Back Game As A Whole

Thursday Night Football is never pretty, especially on defense, with tackling often being an issue. After a short week, the body hasn't had enough time to recover. The Steelers are coming off a mini-bye week and have had plenty of rest. They must be able to tackle Taylor and the Colts' pass-catchers after what happened last week. The secondary, in particular, will face the most pressure, as they'll likely be shorthanded.  

Jamel Dean has an ankle injury and is unlikely to play in Week 5, so rookie Daylen Everette could start. The secondary also missed tackles in Week 4 and struggled in coverage. Regardless of whether Dean plays, the defense will have to tackle better against the Colts if it wants any chance of slowing Taylor down. 

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