The Pittsburgh Steelers may have played well overall defensively in Week 10, but that didn't stop them from getting embarrassed on national television, and it definitely didn't silence the doubters. There are still plenty of things that the coaches can work on to make sure the defense is stable for the home stretch of the season, especially against the tough competition up ahead of them.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith celebrates a big play with Nick Herbig and Cam Heyward during a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025.
Defensive captain Cameron Heyward was very critical of the defense after that contest as well, saying that nobody on the team can really trust each other on the field, which was a shocking piece of reality that the team usually would not allow to be aired out publicly. If that does not get fixed soon, the season is already over, and big changes need to be made as soon as possible.
After Thursday's practice, Heyward was asked about that comment. He clarified what he said, but he didn't take anything back. He just explained why no one can trust one another.
"I think there's just hesitation there a couple times," Heyward said. "It's not necessarily trust. It's just trusting that everybody's going to be in their gap and doing that play in and play out. Sometimes, you feel like there's just a step where we're thinking too much. You got to get that out of your system. You got to know, 'This guy is going to be in this gap, so I can be in this gap,' and because of that, we'll have a stronger defense. I think it's minimal and it's precise, but when you do that, you become a better defense."
It just goes back to a common theme that has been repeated since early in the 2024 season: proper communication and not trying to do too much. Sometimes, it's on the coaches for scheming and calling plays that are way more complicated than they need to be, and sometimes, it's on the players for just trying to play hero and go away from their assignments.
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Steelers superstar defensive lineman Cam Heyward sits in frustration during an away game.
Those problems take a highly talented defense that can make all kinds of plays and turns them into one of the worst units in the NFL. Those trust issues all around lead to things like Payton Wilson playing in the wrong gap or Juan Thornhill guarding nobody while the man behind him is wide open. Thornhill even got released for his role in the communication/hero ball problems.
There is no secret about it. The players have to give the coaches reason to trust them and do what they are asked to do. Heyward looks bad when Wilson abandons his gap and the running back runs right by him, and vice versa. Everyone is to blame for this.
Steelers' Schedule Leaves No Room For Error
Every single team on the Steelers' remaining schedule has the kind of offensive firepower that can put up 30+ points on this defense if it doesn't get its act together. That includes four divisional games, with two of them on the road. Even teams like the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns have shown the ability to score a lot against a unit that does not take them seriously.
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Steelers coaches Mike Tomlin (left), Karl Dunbar (middle) and Teryl Austin (right) stand on the sideline during a home game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers love their splash plays, but they can't win if that is the only goal of the team. If they get too aggressive and/or too soft in attempts to have the ball thrown right at them, most quarterbacks in the league will take full advantage of that and make it a very long day for Pittsburgh. Splash plays are nice, but it can't be the culture. Clean team defense and pure domination should be.
What do you think about Heyward's assessment of the defense? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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