Steelers Defense Falters Again - And Time May Be Running Out for Teryl Austin
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their share of low points over the years, but Sunday’s 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills felt different - more alarming than just another defeat in a long NFL season. This wasn’t just about getting beat by a talented team. This was about a defense that’s been built to dominate, breaking down in ways that are hard to ignore.
Let’s be clear: this unit wasn’t just supposed to be good. It was supposed to be historic.
The Steelers poured resources into the defense this offseason, adding high-profile veterans like Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay to a group that was already one of the most expensive in league history. The goal?
Build a defense capable of neutralizing the AFC North’s biggest threats - namely, the Bengals’ high-powered passing attack and the Ravens’ punishing ground game.
Instead, what we’ve seen is a defense that looks like it’s stuck in neutral - slow to adjust, inconsistent in execution, and not nearly living up to its billing.
And now, the pressure is mounting.
Fans at Acrisure Stadium voiced their frustration Sunday, with some even calling for Mike Tomlin’s job. But let’s be honest: Tomlin isn’t going anywhere.
If there’s a change coming, it’s far more likely to land at the feet of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. And given the way things have unfolded this season, that change might not be far off.
High Expectations, Low Results
The Steelers didn’t just spend big - they spent strategically. Ramsey and Slay were brought in to shore up the secondary, complementing a front seven led by T.J.
Watt, Cam Heyward, and Alex Highsmith. This was a defense built to challenge elite offenses and carry the team through a tough AFC playoff race.
But it hasn’t clicked.
Slay was a healthy scratch against the Bills, and frankly, he’s looked every bit his age. Ramsey hasn’t been playing the role he was brought in to fill.
Watt and Heyward - two cornerstones of the franchise - haven’t looked like themselves. Whether that’s age, injury, or scheme-related, it’s a growing concern.
And here’s the real issue: the Steelers aren’t just struggling on a macro level. They’re failing to make the in-game adjustments that separate good coaching staffs from great ones.
Slow to Adapt, Again and Again
A few weeks ago, the Bengals attacked the Steelers with a barrage of short passes on Thursday Night Football. It wasn’t a complex approach - just quick throws, high-percentage plays, and a refusal to let the Steelers’ pass rush get home.
Pittsburgh didn’t have an answer that night. Or the next game.
It took two full weeks before they finally adjusted, moving Ramsey to safety, starting James Pierre at corner, and leaning more on two-high shell coverages.
That kind of delay is hard to justify - especially for a defense with this much talent and this many resources behind it.
And then came Sunday.
The Bills ran the same run concept - Duo - over and over, daring the Steelers to stop it. They couldn’t.
James Cook gashed them for 144 yards on 32 carries, often running right at T.J. Watt.
It wasn’t a secret. The Steelers knew it was coming.
“Absolutely,” Watt said postgame when asked if they were expecting that play. “We knew [Cook] was a hell of a runner… We weren’t able to stop it tonight.
They were very effective. We tried many different things, and we weren’t successful.”
That’s a telling quote. Not just because the defense got beat, but because they knew what was coming and still couldn’t adjust. That points directly to coaching.
The Clock Is Ticking
Austin is in the final year of his contract, and based on how things are trending, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be back next season. But the bigger question is: why wait?
There’s a case to be made for making a change now. Even if Mike Tomlin ultimately has the final say on the defense - and he does - shifting play-calling duties or moving on from Austin could at least shake things up. It would be a signal that the team is willing to try something different to salvage what’s left of the season.
Because here’s the reality: the Steelers are committing over $115 million next year to Watt, Heyward, Highsmith, Patrick Queen, and Ramsey. That’s a massive investment in a core group that, right now, isn’t producing at the level expected.
If the issue is the scheme, then a new voice on the headset might help unlock that potential. If it’s not, then the front office needs to start making some tough decisions about the future.
Either way, the Steelers can’t afford to sit on their hands.
This isn’t just about one bad game. It’s about a pattern - a defense that was built to be elite, but continues to underperform in the moments that matter most. And unless something changes soon, Pittsburgh might find itself not just out of the playoff hunt, but facing a full-blown identity crisis on the side of the ball that was supposed to carry them.