After getting a chance to review the film from the Steelers' 34-32 win over the Jets, there's no doubt Mike Tomlin wants to see an improvement from his run defense.
In his typical Tuesday press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Tomlin was clear and concise with what he wants to see from his run defense when they host the Seahawks in their home opener Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium.
"I want us to be stouter," Tomlin said.
Tomlin also said they weren't good enough at "whipping" blocks against the run, as his team was gashed on the ground by the Jets for 182 yards. While Justin Fields was a significant component, rushing for 48 yards and two touchdowns, Breece Hall carved up the defense for 107 yards on 19 carries, an average of 5.63 yards per attempt.
In the larger picture, the Steelers finished Week 1 with the fifth-worst rush EPA (expected points added) in the NFL. So, it wasn't just a bad game for their standards. It was bad in the totality of the league. And coming off the 299-yard game in last season's playoff loss to the Ravens, this is not the way they wanted to start the 2025 season.
The question now is how Tomlin and Teryl Austin go about fixing this. That begins with coaching.
"We certainly can do more things schematically to help the guys -- and will," Tomlin said. "But that's an easier endeavor once we gain more experience collectively and some continuity in that space."
Per source, several players were unhappy with in-game adjustments to stop the run. There was more of it in the second half, which produced its fruit, most notably on a three-and-out late in the fourth quarter. They held Hall to a two-yard run on second-and-5, then got Fields for a two-yard loss on third-and-3. Forcing a punt there gave the ball back to the offense, and they wound up driving down the field for Chris Boswell to kick the game-deciding 60-yard field goal.
"(That) might have been the biggest possession," Tomlin said. "To win that sequence and give our offense the ball back was as big as the final drive."
However, personnel decisions have to be part of the solution, too. Tomlin doesn't "flap in the wind," as he like to put it. Meaning, he's not going to bench Keeanu Benton after one bad performance. Shifting guys around might not be part of the immediate solution, either.
"There's no real strong consideration of moving people around at this juncture," Tomlin said. "Keeanu is expected to get better from Game 1 to Game 2 like everyone else. I think it's a reasonable expectation. At least, it is for me. I think once you've been in a stadium and you've played 60 minutes of football, you know something about yourselves that you didn't prior to going into it. And I think that knowledge and experience, individually and collectively, is a catalyst for improvement from Game 1 to Game 2."
Tomlin certainly has other options, if it ever comes down to making changes. Yahya Black can move around and play multiple techniques. As a matter of fact, he did that on Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus, Black lined up in the A gap four times, in the B gap 11 times and over the tackle nine times. Tomlin credited Black's size and strength for why he can play closer to the ball and his length for why they want to use him further away from the ball, too.
It's not overly surprising for Tomlin to avoid knee-jerk reactions, such as benching Benton for a poor performance in Week 1. If Benton has another poor performance in Week 2, that would qualify under Tomlin's own "two is a pattern" criteria, which could lead to a different handling of the situation.
For now, he's challenging everyone -- himself, the coaches and the players -- to all get better collectively. And, with another team that wants to run the ball coming up on the schedule, it'll be up to them to solve the issues in a hurry.
THE ASYLUM
Tomlin seeking improvement in run defense
After getting a chance to review the film from the Steelers' 34-32 win over the Jets, there's no doubt Mike Tomlin wants to see an improvement from his run defense.
In his typical Tuesday press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Tomlin was clear and concise with what he wants to see from his run defense when they host the Seahawks in their home opener Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium.
"I want us to be stouter," Tomlin said.
Tomlin also said they weren't good enough at "whipping" blocks against the run, as his team was gashed on the ground by the Jets for 182 yards. While Justin Fields was a significant component, rushing for 48 yards and two touchdowns, Breece Hall carved up the defense for 107 yards on 19 carries, an average of 5.63 yards per attempt.
In the larger picture, the Steelers finished Week 1 with the fifth-worst rush EPA (expected points added) in the NFL. So, it wasn't just a bad game for their standards. It was bad in the totality of the league. And coming off the 299-yard game in last season's playoff loss to the Ravens, this is not the way they wanted to start the 2025 season.
The question now is how Tomlin and Teryl Austin go about fixing this. That begins with coaching.
"We certainly can do more things schematically to help the guys -- and will," Tomlin said. "But that's an easier endeavor once we gain more experience collectively and some continuity in that space."
Per source, several players were unhappy with in-game adjustments to stop the run. There was more of it in the second half, which produced its fruit, most notably on a three-and-out late in the fourth quarter. They held Hall to a two-yard run on second-and-5, then got Fields for a two-yard loss on third-and-3. Forcing a punt there gave the ball back to the offense, and they wound up driving down the field for Chris Boswell to kick the game-deciding 60-yard field goal.
"(That) might have been the biggest possession," Tomlin said. "To win that sequence and give our offense the ball back was as big as the final drive."
However, personnel decisions have to be part of the solution, too. Tomlin doesn't "flap in the wind," as he like to put it. Meaning, he's not going to bench Keeanu Benton after one bad performance. Shifting guys around might not be part of the immediate solution, either.
"There's no real strong consideration of moving people around at this juncture," Tomlin said. "Keeanu is expected to get better from Game 1 to Game 2 like everyone else. I think it's a reasonable expectation. At least, it is for me. I think once you've been in a stadium and you've played 60 minutes of football, you know something about yourselves that you didn't prior to going into it. And I think that knowledge and experience, individually and collectively, is a catalyst for improvement from Game 1 to Game 2."
Tomlin certainly has other options, if it ever comes down to making changes. Yahya Black can move around and play multiple techniques. As a matter of fact, he did that on Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus, Black lined up in the A gap four times, in the B gap 11 times and over the tackle nine times. Tomlin credited Black's size and strength for why he can play closer to the ball and his length for why they want to use him further away from the ball, too.
It's not overly surprising for Tomlin to avoid knee-jerk reactions, such as benching Benton for a poor performance in Week 1. If Benton has another poor performance in Week 2, that would qualify under Tomlin's own "two is a pattern" criteria, which could lead to a different handling of the situation.
For now, he's challenging everyone -- himself, the coaches and the players -- to all get better collectively. And, with another team that wants to run the ball coming up on the schedule, it'll be up to them to solve the issues in a hurry.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits!
We’d love to have you!