Steelers' Patrick Queen Gives Mike McCarthy A New Way To Make Quarterbacks Miserable

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent an uncomfortable amount of time this season trying to make an expensive defense look like an expensive defense. For weeks, the conversation centered on missed assignments, awkward communication and whether the talent was actually translating into results. Sunday's rematch with the Browns offered a rather emphatic response. Even more interesting was what the head coach said afterward about the player helping everything come together.

That player is Patrick Queen, and his fingerprints were everywhere during Pittsburgh's 27-6 win over the Cleveland Browns. The linebacker finished with 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, a pass defended and a forced fumble. Those aren't numbers a defensive coordinator needs to squint at to find encouragement. They earned Queen the Steelers' Player of the Week honor.

The most revealing play arrived before Pittsburgh had even scored. Queen and Cameron Heyward combined to sack Deshaun Watson, with Queen forcing the fumble and Keeanu Benton recovering it. Pittsburgh inherited possession at Cleveland's 45-yard line and turned that gift into its opening touchdown. That's an awfully efficient way to introduce a defensive game plan.

Queen's contributions extended beyond one turnover. The Steelers recorded eight sacks, held Cleveland to 34 rushing yards and kept the Browns out of the end zone in two goal-to-go situations. They also climbed to 6-2, taking sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The defense wasn't merely surviving drives until its offense could rescue it. For much of Sunday, it dictated what Cleveland was allowed to attempt.

Following the victory, Head Coach Mike McCarthy was asked about Queen's recent play. His answer, delivered during his postgame press conference, went well beyond a compliment about tackles.

“I love the way Patrick's playing. You know, I just think the whole communication and some of the things we've done, I think, when we've upped the pressure. You know, I think just the intensity of that front seven is, it looks the way it's supposed to look. And he deserves a lot of credit for that,” McCarthy said.

The most interesting part is McCarthy connecting pressure with communication. Queen wears the green dot, making him responsible for relaying calls and getting the defense aligned before the snap. That's already a demanding job when offenses use motion and changing formations to force late adjustments. Asking that same player to threaten the quarterback creates another headache for opponents, provided everybody understands who's rushing and who's covering.

Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham appears to be finding the balance. Pittsburgh's recent adjustment to Queen's role included giving him greater input in game-planning discussions and allowing him to attack on more pressures against New Orleans. He responded with 10 tackles and a sack in that victory before supplying an even louder performance against Cleveland. Consecutive productive outings don't settle an entire season, but they provide a much better argument than another promise about potential.

There's a practical benefit for the guys around him, too. TJ Watt finished Sunday's game with two sacks, while Heyward contributed 1.5. When an inside linebacker becomes a legitimate pass-rushing threat, the offense has more to account for before the snap. A running back who has to respect Queen coming through the middle may be less available as an outlet, and protection decisions get more uncomfortable when pressure can originate from multiple spots. A protection sliding toward Watt cannot simply treat Queen as an afterthought. Ignore the linebacker, and the pocket can collapse from the direction a quarterback expected to be safe. Commit too many bodies inside, and the edge rushers get their opportunities.

None of that means Queen should blitz on every third down. Predictability works both ways, and vacating the middle of the field without sound coverage behind a pressure is an excellent way to turn a clever call into a long completion. Payton Wilson and the rest of Pittsburgh's second level still need clearly defined responsibilities. Graham's job is to make an offense account for Queen without handing it a diagram of where the ball should go.

The contrast with the first Cleveland meeting is difficult to miss. Pittsburgh lost that October 1 matchup 27-24 amid frustration over its defensive communication. McCarthy subsequently moved Graham from the coaching booth to the sideline, giving players more direct access to their coordinator between possessions. It's impossible to credit one sideline change for eight sacks, but the difference in how connected the unit looks is becoming harder to dismiss.

Steelers Have Found A Better Use For Queen Than Playing It Safe

Here's the opinion Pittsburgh should take into its bye week: Queen's recent success is an argument for trusting him with more responsibility, not retreating into a conservative comfort zone. His value isn't limited to making the tackle after somebody else has forced the action. He can organize the group, threaten a protection and help create the disruption that leads to everybody else's highlight.

That doesn't absolve Queen of his uneven stretches earlier in the season. The standard for an experienced, well-paid linebacker should be higher than two strong Sundays. He'll need to keep identifying formations quickly, tackling cleanly and recognizing when an aggressive rush is worth the coverage trade-off. Opponents will study these pressure looks and try to punish the vacated space.

Still, McCarthy's praise reveals a useful change in expectations. Pittsburgh is no longer talking exclusively about getting its defense on the same page. It's beginning to see what happens when that page tells its most important communicators to attack. If Graham keeps the disguise and discipline intact, Queen can make the Steelers harder to prepare for, not just harder to block.

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