"He's A Dog": Steelers' Defensive Coach Gets Ultimate Praise From Retired LB

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reached the part of their defensive turnaround where the stars get the highlights and the coordinator gets the praise. That's usually how it goes when a group starts humiliating opposing offenses. But one former Pittsburgh linebacker has identified somebody else worth talking about, and his endorsement came with an admission that should make the current players appreciate their situation a little more.

Vince Williams knows what the job demands in the middle of Pittsburgh's defense. He spent all eight of his NFL seasons with the Steelers before retiring in 2021, making a career out of attacking blockers and running downhill. He also knows how quickly an inside linebacker gets blamed when the defense looks confused.

That's why his recent praise for inside linebackers coach Scott McCurley deserves attention. Williams wasn't handing out the usual compliment about a coach being a good guy. He sounded like somebody who wanted to borrow a time machine and attend a few of McCurley's position meetings himself.

During the November 3 episode of Steelers Blitz on Steelers Nation Radio, Williams singled out the coach's ability to teach difficult concepts without overwhelming the people expected to execute them.

“Scott [McCurley] is a dog, too. The linebackers coach Scotty McCurley, he’s a dog. I wish I would’ve gotten to play for him. How he details things up, how he makes complicated things very simple. And he’s such an easygoing guy. I think the personalities fit well in that room,” Williams said.

The easiest part of coaching is drawing up something complicated. The hard part is making sure a defender can recognize it, communicate it and execute it before an offense snaps the football. A linebacker doesn't get a timeout because somebody shifted across the formation and changed the blocking picture. Whatever the call requires, he needs the answer immediately.

Patrick Queen handles that responsibility wearing Pittsburgh's green dot. He's responsible for relaying the defensive call and getting teammates aligned while also reading run fits, tracking potential receivers and occasionally attacking the quarterback himself. Payton Wilson has been working to become a more complete partner in those conversations, rather than knowing only his individual assignment.

Wilson admitted during offseason work that he needed to become more vocal and understand what everybody around him was doing. That wasn't a complaint about Queen. It was an acknowledgment that one man shouldn't have to carry the entire communication load. McCurley's ability to break down assignments becomes especially useful when the defense starts changing its pressure looks from week to week.

The recent improvement is hard to ignore. Queen recorded 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in Pittsburgh's 27-6 win over the Cleveland Browns on November 1. Wilson added eight tackles, and the defense held Cleveland to 34 rushing yards while recording eight sacks. A week earlier, Wilson intercepted a pass against the New Orleans Saints, who managed just 18 rushing yards.

Those performances would be impressive under any circumstances. They're particularly interesting considering the scrutiny both linebackers faced earlier in the season. Williams himself was critical of Queen's effort following Pittsburgh's first loss to Cleveland, questioning whether the veteran was protecting himself on certain plays. He isn't somebody who suddenly discovered how to compliment a linebacker because his old team won four straight.

McCurley also isn't some newcomer who appeared with the winning streak. He joined Pittsburgh in 2025 and stayed on when Head Coach Mike McCarthy assembled his staff for 2026. The two already had a working history from the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. In Dallas, McCurley coached a linebacker group that accounted for 22 sacks during the 2024 season.

His first Pittsburgh season wasn't a statistical disaster, either. Queen led the club with 120 tackles, while Wilson finished with 109, according to the team's coaching biography. But tackle totals don't tell coaches whether someone understood his responsibility or simply cleaned up a mistake after the offense already gained five yards. Technique and decision-making are considerably harder to capture in a box score.

Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has received plenty of attention for using more pressure and improving communication after the first Cleveland defeat. McCarthy also revealed the staff was giving Queen greater input during game-planning discussions. McCurley shouldn't receive sole credit for the turnaround, but the day-to-day work of getting those ideas into the linebackers' heads is exactly where a position coach can make himself invaluable.

Steelers Need Their Linebackers To Think Less And Play Faster

Williams' compliment gets at something Pittsburgh should protect as the season becomes more demanding. Simplicity isn't a lack of sophistication. A defender who understands the rule behind a coverage adjustment can react to an unfamiliar formation without freezing. The best coaching allows players to use their instincts because they aren't wasting the first second of every play trying to remember the assignment.

That matters against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 15, when Pittsburgh returns from its bye. An offense capable of testing the middle of the field will be looking for hesitation, especially if Queen threatens an inside blitz and Wilson has to account for the space behind him. Graham can design the pressure, but nobody will care how clever it looked on the whiteboard if a receiver is uncovered.

Williams spent years doing that job at NFL speed. If a veteran who was never shy about criticizing his former team wishes he'd played for McCurley, the current linebackers ought to recognize the compliment. The coach doesn't need a sack celebration. His work shows up when everyone else gets to play fast.

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