Steelers' Mike Tomlin Addresses Defensive Coordinator Struggles

Tomlin Remains Confident in Austin

During his weekly press conference, Tomlin stood by defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and said that the pair are going to keep working towards a solution.

"I've known Teryl a long time," Tomlin said. "He is very capable. He is very thorough. I've largely been pleased with his work, but certainly he and I are not pleased with where we are right now from a defensive unit perspective, so we're just gonna keep working."

Additionally, Tomlin stated that taking Austin's play-calling duties away is "not on the table" at the moment.

Defensive Woes

Pittsburgh's team identity has long been predicated upon its success on defense, but little has been done to uphold that standard recently.

The Steelers gave up an average of 26.83 points over their last six regular season games last season before allowing 28 points to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. During that span, they went 1-6 and finished on a five-game losing streak.

There were some calls for Pittsburgh to move on from Austin in the offseason, but he ultimately returned for his seventh year with the organization and his fourth as their defensive coordinator.

The Steelers made a multitude of moves to improve their defense, which included bringing in cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay Jr., but there's been no payoff as of yet.

Through the end of Week 8, Pittsburgh has given up the third-most yards (386.0) and 11th-most points (25.0) per contest. Those numbers are simply unacceptable given all the talent on the team's defense, and something must change in the future.

What's Next for Pittsburgh?

Perhaps the Steelers will reevaluate Austin's role and future with the team once the offseason arrives, but for now there's no plans of stripping him of his duties.

Tomlin and Austin have worked in lockstep for a long time and found success plenty of times in the past, which makes this year's defensive shortcomings all the more confusing.

Is Pittsburgh's defensive scheme becoming too stale, or perhaps predictable? Is it a personnel issue? Are the sentiments from the team's leadership going in one ear and out the other?

With all of the money and resources the Steelers have invested into their defense, there's no excuse for the group's current performance.

If no turnaround comes down the stretch, than the organization may have no choice but to make sweeping changes, which could certainly include getting rid of Austin.