The Pittsburgh Steelers left Paris with another victory and a defensive performance that looked pretty impressive on the scoreboard. New Orleans could barely run the football, Pittsburgh made several timely stops, and the Saints managed just 10 points. Yet one former player watched the game and came away irritated by something that kept happening when the defense had a chance to leave the field. His proposed solution would make opposing quarterbacks considerably less comfortable.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Steelers cornerback Joe Haden smiles during his playing days with Pittsburgh.
Former Steelers cornerback Joe Haden believes Pittsburgh's defensive backs are being far too generous near the first-down marker. During Sunday's 16-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints, Haden noticed repeated hitch and slant routes on third down that defenders weren't anticipating aggressively enough. His frustration centered on the simplicity of the concepts and Pittsburgh's willingness to surrender completions when the offense needed only a few yards.
The numbers support his broader concern. New Orleans converted six of 12 third downs and both fourth-down attempts, while quarterback Tyler Shough completed 30 of 38 passes for 278 yards. The Saints managed just 18 rushing yards on 17 attempts, yet still collected 15 passing first downs. For a defense that essentially eliminated one entire dimension of its opponent's offense, the passing results were surprisingly forgiving.
During Monday's episode of Deebo & Joe, Haden explained why watching Pittsburgh repeatedly allow those short completions drove him crazy.
“These are stick routes that you got to just be knowing, guys, these are money downs. Let's get off. It's a hitch. Catch and tackle. It's a slant. We know what's coming. Let's break this thing up,” Haden said.
A hitch route isn't exactly football's best-kept secret. The receiver pushes upfield, plants his foot and turns toward the quarterback. A slant attacks inside leverage, allowing the passer to deliver the football quickly before pressure arrives. Both are effective concepts, but Haden's complaint is that Pittsburgh's defenders appear too willing to concede those throws when the first-down marker is involved.
Consider what happens on third-and-5. A cornerback playing with a generous cushion might successfully prevent a deep completion, but allowing a receiver to catch a six-yard hitch defeats the purpose of getting the offense into third down. The tackle looks fine on the stat sheet. Meanwhile, the opposing offense gets another four plays to work with. Haden wants defenders recognizing the situation and attacking the route before the catch becomes inevitable.
His frustration carries additional weight considering his previous criticism of Pittsburgh's secondary. Earlier this month, Haden's cloud-corner breakdown highlighted a potential coverage miscommunication involving rookie Daylen Everette during a 60-yard completion against the Cleveland Browns. That play involved a different coverage responsibility, but both observations point toward the need for quicker recognition and cleaner execution.
Later in Monday's show, Haden explained exactly what he'd do if an offense kept testing him with those same short routes. His solution involved making the quarterback regret becoming so comfortable.
“You run it three times in a row, a hitch or a slant on third down. I'm going to jump one of those, act like I don't know what's going on and pick it and punish you for it. And now you're going to have to double move me,” Haden said.
That's the mentality of a cornerback who spent 12 NFL seasons learning how to manipulate quarterbacks. If the receiver believes a defender will keep retreating, he can run the same route without much hesitation. A corner who suddenly drives downhill can disrupt the timing, break up the pass or turn a predictable completion into an interception. Haden also understands the counter: once a defender starts jumping underneath routes, offenses can attack him with double moves.
Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Patrick Graham participates in training camp drills at Saint Vincent College in 2026.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham can't simply instruct everybody to gamble on every short throw. Veterans Jalen Ramsey and Jamel Dean still have to respect their coverage responsibilities, while safety Jaquan Brisker cannot be expected to rescue every aggressive decision underneath. The trick is recognizing tendencies while understanding where the help is supposed to be.
Pittsburgh also deserves credit for finishing the afternoon defensively. Payton Wilson intercepted Shough near the goal line during the third quarter, and Patrick Queen recorded a crucial fourth-quarter sack. The Steelers didn't surrender a point after halftime. Those plays secured the victory, but they shouldn't prevent Graham from examining how New Orleans moved the chains earlier.
Steelers Need To Make Third Down Feel Like A Fight Again
Haden has a legitimate argument, and Pittsburgh should take it seriously. Allowing a short completion and making the tackle can be perfectly acceptable on first-and-10. On third-and-4, that same approach can surrender the entire possession. If an opponent keeps finding receivers at the sticks without facing meaningful resistance, the defense is making life unnecessarily easy.
There is also a difference between being aggressive and guessing. Haden isn't suggesting that every defensive back abandon the coverage call to hunt interceptions. He wants players studying tendencies, anticipating familiar concepts and understanding when an opportunity exists to punish predictable play-calling. Pittsburgh has enough talent in its secondary to make those adjustments without turning every third down into a desperate gamble.
The Steelers improved to 5-2 with Sunday's victory and will face Cleveland again on November 1. That rematch provides another opportunity to demonstrate better defensive execution after the Browns exposed problems earlier this month. Pittsburgh cannot count on every opponent struggling to score despite repeatedly extending drives.
Haden knows the difference between a quarterback making an extraordinary throw and a defense practically inviting an ordinary completion. His message is that Pittsburgh should stop waiting for receivers to catch the football before deciding to defend the route. Eventually, somebody needs to make opposing quarterbacks think twice about throwing the same easy pass.
#SteelerNation