Sep 7, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton (95) at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Steelers Defender Quiets Haters With Breakout Game

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers successfully defended the homeland of their owning family, The Rooneys, in a 24-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Playing in front of more than 70,000 in attendance at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, the Steelers capitalized on their makeshift home field advantage and moved to 3-1.

Heading into this matchup, the Steelers’ defense was hoping to prove their Week 3 performance was no fluke. Things got hairy in the fourth quarter, allowing two touchdown passes to bring the Vikings closer than comfort, but the defense was resilient enough to force Minnesota to turn it over on downs on their final possession and capture the victory. It wasn't perfect, but it was a huge step because of the impact defensive lineman Keeanu Benton had.

The first three weeks were rough for the Steelers defense overall, but no one was more criticized than Benton. The third-year defensive tackle was expected to be the next Cam Heyward in terms of run stuffing and just as impactful on pass rushing downs. Through three weeks, he struggled to have any impact, other than a negative one, when on the field.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Luck of the Irish?

Maybe it was the Luck of the Irish or the change of scenery, but something clicked for Benton against the Vikings. He recorded four tackles, three passes deflected, 1.5 sacks and one tackle for loss while playing 46 defensive snaps. It was everything that Benton projected to be when the Steelers drafted him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft: a pass rushing machine who had an extremely high motor despite possessing defensive tackle size.

Over those 46 snaps, Benton was a menace in both the pass and rushing games. Going up against a strong Minnesota offensive line, he was stronger at the point of attack. After taking a beating the first few weeks from offensive linemen, this time it was Benton delivering the pushback, wrapping up ball carriers and containing the quarterback within the pocket.

The rushing defense looked drastically improved for Pittsburgh as a result. For the first time this season, the Steelers didn’t concede 100 yards or more on the ground. The Vikings were limited to just 70 yards on 20 carries in the contest, good for an average of just 3.5 yards per carry. That’s the lowest total the Steelers have held an opposing team to this season.

Like many players on the Steelers defense, this was a huge stepping stone game for Benton. His game has been heavily scrutinized after a rough start, but this was a perfect response game. He was disruptive, productive and awful to play against, and it was exactly what he and the Steelers’ defense needed to come away with the victory.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: