Defense has often been the Pittsburgh Steelers’ calling card. They’ve dominated on that side of the ball for stretches over the years, and their Super Bowl-winning teams each had dominant defenses. The Steelers hoped that unit would excel in 2025, but that didn’t happen. Their defense underwhelmed in a big way, finishing 26th in the league in yards allowed. Former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin received a lot of heat for that, but ex-Steelers corner Darius Slay doesn’t think it was his fault, pointing out his biggest issue with Pittsburgh’s scheme.
“I ain’t gonna lie to you, that Pittsburgh stuff, that was rough for my dog [Jalen Ramsey] because that shit’s backwards over there,” Slay said Thursday on his Press Coverage podcast. “That ain’t TA [Austin] shit. TA ain’t teach none of that shit in fucking Detroit. They was outside leverage every fucking call. That’s why you see, when Ramsey ever got scored on, he’s chasing someone that’s running away from outside leverage.
“It’s crazy. Them guys make plays, don’t get me wrong. This is what these [coaches] were telling me, ‘You play outside leverage, and if they catch a ball inside, it’s on the d-line because they’re so good at batting the ball down.’ I’m not banking on that. That’s the only thing I did not like about the defense. Everything was outside leverage in the red zone. That shit was weird as fuck. I never played that shit.”
Several members of the Steelers’ front seven are adept at batting passes down. It’s clearly a skill the organization values, with pass rusher often being seen getting their arms up when quarterbacks throw the ball.
Cam Heyward has mastered that skill, with 64 passes defensed in his career, including 11 in 2024. T.J. Watt does it nearly as well, posting eight pass defenses last year. Rookie Jack Sawyer also batted four balls down, while Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig recorded three each.
When that strategy works, it tends to produce dividends for the Steelers. They’ve picked off many passes that were batted into the air over the years, including some last season.
However, it’s easy to see why Slay would push back on that game plan. The defensive linemen aren’t blamed when an opposing receiver runs free to catch a touchdown pass. The blame is often placed on whoever is in coverage.
It’s hard to say who is at fault for that scheme, though. Austin was Slay’s defensive coordinator for four years with the Detroit Lions, so the corner has experience with how he runs a defense outside of Pittsburgh.
Perhaps Mike Tomlin added that wrinkle. Players like Heyward and Watt were batting passes down before Austin became the defensive coordinator. Tomlin’s background is on the defensive side of the ball, and he was a constant over the years, so he could’ve instilled that mindset in the defense.
No matter who is to blame, the Steelers’ defense wasn’t good enough last year. However, that could change this season. Tomlin stepped down in early January, and almost his entire coaching staff was let go, too. The Steelers have a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham, and he’ll likely do some things differently. Maybe that will help the team’s defense play up to expectations.