Former Steelers LB Arthur Moats Gives Revealing Take On Patrick Queen's Slow Start In Pittsburgh: "It's Caught Up To Him"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the most expensive defense in the NFL, but they appeared anemic and lethargic against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. They led the league in multiple defensive categories before the game, but it felt like the Colts had their number. This has led to concerns over the performance of several players specifically. 

T.J. Watt is generally considered superhuman; he makes plays that no one else can or does, but he was completely ineffective in that game. He was held quite a bit, and no calls were made, but he is held and double-teamed in many games and still finds a way to break through.  

Another concerning defensive statistic from the game is that the two safeties, Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott, led the team in tackles. That tells you that A) there's likely too many plays being made by the opposing offense in the passing game, and/or B) something is going on with your inside linebackers, who might be missing too many opportunities to make plays themselves. This has led to an onslaught of complaints on social media about the Steelers' highest paid free agent, Patrick Queen. 

Queen hasn't been as effective through these first four games as most expected, but it was even worse against Indianapolis. He received an overall grade of 40.0 from Pro Football Focus (PFF) for Week 4, 30.0 against the run, and 29.8 in the passing game. Elliott forced a fumble that landed right in front of Queen, yet he failed to recover the ball. 

Former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats discussed Queen on his podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience. Moats said he understands why fans are upset, but thinks it's too soon to label his signing a mistake or call him a bust. 

"The big thing that jumps out with him that I've seen is his tackling. I thought this game was probably the worst that I saw from him through his early time as a Steeler. The thing I do like is the fact that he is still getting to the ball a ton. I'm equating these tackling issues to the conditioning part. I know what tired looks like and he's still trying to play through that."

Moats said that those "high money" guys like Queen are out there every single snap, as they should be, but that also creates some challenges. 

He added that he isn't saying that Queen is out of shape, saying that he is in excellent shape, but he sees these moments when he's physically tired.  

"I think the more he keeps playing, the more he's going to continue to get in shape. Some of those missed tackles that we're seeing, I think half of those go away solely based off of that. He will get to what we call legit playing shape, to play every single snap because that is what he does from a defensive standpoint. They don't package him yet, you stay out there every single time, every single scenario. You go from preseason, where you're getting practice reps, a handful or two series here and there. Now, I come out here and running all over. I think it's caught up to him, surprised him a bit."

Moats said he isn't making an excuse for Queen, adding that this is something real players deal with early in the season. Moats also said that he feels Queen is "balling out" regarding the amount of tackles he gets. He said there has also been production in the passing game.

Steelers Still Serious Contenders

Sitting at 3-1 and prepping for the Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers are still serious contenders in the AFC North. While there were always high expectations for this defense, the offense plays better each week. Young quarterback Justin Fields wasn't even supposed to start, and he showed poise and maturity as he tried to bring the team back in Week 4. 

Hopefully, the defense just had a hiccup against the Colts, and they will hold each other accountable so they can right the ship. While former NFL defender Chris Canty may have called them "frauds," most experts agree this isn't true. One bad game doesn't tell the whole story. 

What do you think about Queen so far? Click to comment below. 

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