STEELERS WEEK 2: SLEEPLESS IN PITTSBURGH

After last week’s win over the Jets, there was a genuine sense of optimism. With Aaron Rodgers under center, it looked like this team might finally compete.

 

Two weeks in, that hope already feels like it’s collapsing. And the reasons are clear.

 

The defense was abysmal against New York, but at least the offense showed signs of life. This week, neither side of the ball had much to offer.

 

For the defense, this is more than a one-week hiccup — it’s a trend. Over the last ten games, dating back to last season, the Steelers have:

 

• Allowed at least 300 yards of offense in every contest (the longest active streak in the NFL).

 

• Given up an average of 27.9 points per game.

 

This isn’t the kind of football Pittsburgh is accustomed to. Offensive struggles? Fans have seen those before. But a defense this porous? That’s not part of the team’s DNA — at least it didn’t use to be.

 

The Steelers’ home opener brought the winless Seahawks into Acrisure Stadium, a team that managed just 13 points a week ago. It looked like the perfect chance for the defense to rebound.

 

Instead, it turned into another nightmare. Despite intercepting Sam Darnold twice, Pittsburgh surrendered 31 points, including a special teams blunder that gifted Seattle a touchdown after rookie Kaleb Johnson’s costly mistake.

 

On the other side of the ball, things were equally grim. The running game stalled. The passing attack never found rhythm. And when a team can’t establish the run, it becomes one-dimensional — predictable and easy to smother.

 

The result: Pittsburgh’s first loss of the season, and worse, a defeat on home turf. Fans left Acrisure as restless as the players, staring down a long night in the Steel City.

 

Unless something changes, this defense doesn’t look capable of righting the ship. And if that proves true, Mike Tomlin could be staring at his first losing season — ending an 18-year streak of consistency that has defined the franchise.

 

Next up: a road trip to Foxborough to face the 1-1 New England Patriots.