Jayden Daniels Delivers Condemning Statement On The Predictable Steelers Defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the few teams that were able to get the better of the rookie-phenom Jayden Daniels during the 2024 season. The rookie quarterback was able to completely turn the Washington Commanders around as they made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game. Before the 2024 season, Washington looked like an easy win for Pittsburgh when looking at the schedule, it quickly became clear that was not the case. The Steelers were in for a battle when they traveled to play Washington, but they were able to escape with a one-point victory.

It was a tense battle in Washington, but the Steelers were able to walk out with a win after getting the Commanders to jump offsides on a critical fourth down play. Daniels completed just 50 percent of his passes for 202 yards, and the Pittsburgh defense was able to hold him to just five yards rushing on three attempts. Despite the lackluster performance from Daniels, he joined The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday where he was asked about defenses that confused him during his rookie season. One of the co-hosts asked whether or not the Steelers were able to get under his skin.

"The Steelers tried to play man against us the whole game," Daniels said. "I would say Baltimore did a good job. Baltimore for sure. Disguising, Kyle Hamilton bro, there was times he was lining up on the line of scrimmage and then running 30 yards back."

The Steelers are known for having this "great" defense. It is the highest paid defense in the NFL, however there is no creativity behind it. Plenty of players have come out and said that the Steelers try to run the same defenses in the same situations over and over again, and it is probably why the group has gotten worse year in and year out. 

When playing against a rookie quarterback, it shouldn't be hard to confuse him, especially with the highest paid defense in the league. Disguise blitzes, show different looks before the snap, play different types of zone coverage. Instead, the Steelers played their typical Cover 2 Man scheme that the team will never move away from.

Just recently, former New England Patriots wide receiver, Julian Edelman called out the Steelers for never changing their approach or schemes. They always came out and tried to do the same thing. This probably explains why Pittsburgh always struggled against the Patriots, especially considering the talent that was on New England's roster.

This falls on the defensive coaching staff, but mainly Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin. Austin has the title of defensive coordinator, but everyone knows it is mainly Tomlin calling the shots defensively, and he needs to be more open to changing his approach. 

Steelers' Defensive Game Plan Against Washington Worked

Playing man throughout the entire game against Washington was likely a big reason that Daniels was not able to get things going with his legs. He took off just three times for five yards, and that is because the Steelers were able to maintain their rush lines while sticking close to wide receivers. However, Daniels' comments present a bigger issue. Tomlin and the coaching staff believe they can just go into any matchup and do the same thing, over and over again. The majority of the criticism on the coaching staff mostly evolves around how in-game adjustments seem to be rarely made. 

Former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spoke about this recently, stating that Tomlin likes to stick to his ways, and he often doesn't even have a backup plan. Tomlin gets a lot of credit for winning a lot of games in Pittsburgh, but he should take on just as much blame for the losses and constant mediocrity. 

What do you think about Daniels' comments? Let us know in the comments below!

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