The Steelers spent more than a decade-and-a-half building what they hoped would be a defense that could be the backbone of the team. They spent first-round picks on defense in nine of 10 years, beginning with Cameron Heyward in 2011 and ending in 2020 with the first-round pick they swapped to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick. They’ve rewarded many of those players with expensive contracts and then supplemented the group with outside free agents, including Patrick Queen, who became the highest-paid outside free agent in team history. All these decisions have made the Steelers the NFL’s highest-paid defense, with more than $137 million committed to that side of the ball.
On Saturday, that expensive defense failed to live up to its salary cap hit. Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson ran wild on the Steelers, allowing Baltimore to jump out to an early 21-0 lead. By the time it was over, the Ravens had racked up nearly 300 rushing yards, finishing with 299 after a couple of kneel downs.
The test of any AFC defense is how it performs against the elite QBs in the conference. In their last three postseason appearances, the Steelers’ defense has offered little resistance against Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and now Jackson. You have to ask: If the Steelers are paying this much for defense only for it to wilt against top-end QBs in the AFC, is it time to change the strategy?
What went wrong in Steelers wild-card round loss to the Ravens: Key takeaways
