The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-1 through the first two weeks of the 2025 regular season. While the offense, led by four-time MVP and future first ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, has shown flashes, even if it has been inconsistent, the defense has been an unmitigated disaster.
Star pass rusher TJ Watt’s lack of production is causing some alarm across Steelers nation, as he has failed to register a sack so far this season, after signing one of the most lucrative deals for a non-quarterback in NFL history this past offseason.
However, a deep dive into the statistics shows that Watt is still an elite player; it’s just that the defense around him is glaringly bad. Opponents are averaging only two and a half yards per rush attempt in Watt’s direction and a shocking six yards per attempt away from him.
Fans reacted to the shocking statistics on social media.
“And there are analysts out there coming after Arthur Smith and the Steelers offense? Can we look at how terrible the defense has been under Teryl Austin and Mike Tomlin? When will accountability land at their feet?” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“its almost like the defensive coaching is incompetent or something. not like we been saying this for 4 years now or anything,” someone else added.
“People think he’s washed because he isn’t putting up the numbers we are used to, but he is making an impact. He doesn’t get enough credit for his abilities against the run,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see if head coach Mike Tomlin has any plan to address the state of the defense.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.