Something is going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The legendary franchise, tied for the most Super Bowl victories at six with the New England Patriots, has been on a steady cruise under head coach Mike Tomlin. However, after a blowout against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, the vibes in the locker room seem to be less than ideal.
During postgame press conferences and interviews, the team didn’t all appear to be on the same page, especially on the defensive end. The reason was obvious, as Kansas City had its second-highest-scoring game of the season with 29 points. The situation has escalated so much that even Pat McAfee had to discuss it on his show.
What Is Going on With the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Under Tomlin, the Steelers have prided themselves on their defensive identity. With former Defensive Player of the Year in T.J. Watt holding down the middle, Pittsburgh dominating defensively is a given practically every season. So, to see them give up 25+ points in three straight games and get blown out in each was a rather peculiar sight.
But, after the game, the fog started lifting. Cam Heyward was the first one to speak out, saying, “When 10 guys do their job, and one guy doesn’t, we are screwed.” That was enough to set the internet sleuths off. And Pat McAfee went into it on “The Pat McAfee Show” with Mark Kaboly in conversation.
What’s going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers..
“Something was a little off after the game yesterday and you could tell people wanted to say something about somebody..
They made it known that somebody is trying to play hero ball” ~ @MarkKaboly #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/mVgjKSDO1B
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 26, 2024
“Is he talking about there being a litany of issues or what’s going on on the defensive side of the Pittsburgh Steelers football program, Mark?” Unfortunately, the answer for Kaboly might not put smiles on the Steelers fan base’s faces.
“Apparently, this has been happening for a couple of weeks now. I know Patrick Queen mentioned it last week on ‘people doing their jobs’ and ‘not being in the right positions.’ But that’s normally player talk after a game. We all have to be accountable. But something was a little off yesterday after the game.
“You could tell people wanted to say something about somebody specific, but they bit their tongue. But they made it known that somebody, one, two, three people, who knows are going outside their capabilities maybe, trying to play maybe hero ball. And that’s not really working very well in their goal of winning here. And if you see there’s a lot of touchdowns they’ve given up, a lot of plays they’ve given up are just uncontested.
“Usually, when it’s uncontested it’s communication errors, you know, people trying to do more than they’re supposed to be doing. That stuff you get cleaned up in Week 2, 3. You don’t get that cleaned up in Week 17.”
To Kaboly’s point, the Steelers have given up 11 TDs in the last three weeks alone, as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Kansas City, have all scored at will against them. It remains to be seen if the issues get handled internally or if it’s about to get ugly from here on out for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
