The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense might be absolutely stacked with individual talent, but their secondary is staring down a massive, unproven problem as Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons approaches: chemistry. This isn’t just some minor preseason hiccup; beat writers Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo are ringing the alarm bells, pinpointing the defensive backfield as the Steelers’ number one concern heading into the season opener.
Nobody’s Seen These Guys Play Together, Period.
You want to know why chemistry is such a huge question mark? Look no further than the injury report and contract situations that plagued training camp. Multiple injuries and a contract hold-in completely torpedoed any chance for the projected secondary to log meaningful practice and scrimmage reps together. Outside cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey missed extensive camp time on the PUP list. Starting safety Jaquan Brisker was sidelined for most of August. And to top it all off, veteran DeShon Elliott got placed on injured reserve.
Carter didn’t mince words, saying, “This has been the thing that I’ve been kind of ringing a bell about, we have not seen the secondary together pretty much at all this offseason.” Think about that: four of the five expected starters in Pittsburgh’s nickel defense failed to share the field this summer. So, yeah, they might be saying, “Hey, we have good chemistry for the group,” but as Carter put it, “They got to go prove it soon.” What, are they supposed to just magically gel on game day?
A ‘High-Stakes Wildcard’ Just Waiting to Explode
This isn’t just about some minor miscommunication on a random play. Atlanta’s offense, anchored by Bijan Robinson, is a run-heavy unit, but communication errors in a newly assembled secondary can turn even tiny mistakes into game-changing blown coverages. Fittipaldo admitted that despite the team’s depth at other positions, this secondary is a high-stakes wildcard. He’s got concerns about the offensive line and the receiving corps too, sure, but his biggest worry boils down to this defensive backfield. “With Joey’s situation and with DeShon’s situation, man, I just think there is a lot left that we have to find out about the secondary before I can feel completely comfortable with it.”
For the Steelers to snag that Week 1 victory, their defensive backs are gonna have to pull off a miracle, syncing up their communication instantly and on the fly. It’s go-time, and they’ve got to prove they’re ready for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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