Overview
- Harrison blasted the unit on his Deebo & Joe podcast, calling the scheme "trash" and saying the defense is soft, undisciplined and unable to adjust at halftime.
- Sunday’s 31-28 defeat to Chicago dropped Pittsburgh to 6-5 and ceded the AFC North tiebreaker to Baltimore.
- Players and local analysis pointed to schematic problems, with linebacker Patrick Queen citing coverage stresses that left underneath defenders outmatched.
- Next Gen Stats showed a recent shift back to one-high looks and heavy Cover 3 usage, which Chicago exploited as Williams logged 172 of 239 passing yards and two touchdowns against those coverages.
- PennLive’s team labeled the approach outdated and predicted a potential offseason defensive staff shake-up if the slide continues, as the Steelers prepare to host the Bills on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET in a game framed as pivotal for playoff positioning.