The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a huge win Sunday night, beating the Baltimore Ravens 26–24 to clinch the AFC North and lock up the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. It was a wild finish that came down to a blocked extra point, a last-second drive, and a missed field goal as time expired.
But once the chaos settled, one ugly truth was hard to ignore: the Steelers’ defense nearly gave the game away.
In the fourth quarter, Lamar Jackson completely tore through Pittsburgh’s secondary. He completed 6 of 8 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns — long strikes of 50 and 64 yards to Zay Flowers — and also ripped off a critical 26-yard throw to Isaiah Likely that set up what should have been a game-winning field goal. Jackson finished the quarter with a 156.3 passer rating and made the Steelers pay for multiple blown coverages that looked more like high school mistakes than NFL ones.
Baltimore lost because of a missed kick, not because Pittsburgh locked anything down.
That performance reopened a question many Steelers fans have been asking all season:
Should the Steelers retain defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, no matter what happens in the playoffs?
The Numbers Paint a Mixed — and Troubling — Picture
Statistically, the Steelers’ defense has been all over the map:
23rd overall
29th against the pass
13th against the run
25th on third down
17th in points allowed (22.8 per game)
7th in red zone defense
48 sacks and 15 interceptions
Those sack and turnover numbers are strong, but the areas that truly define modern NFL defense — points allowed, third-down stops, red zone success, and takeaways — show Pittsburgh as middle of the pack or worse in three of the four.
And while yards allowed don’t always tell the full story, blown coverages, busted assignments, and repeated schematic failures absolutely do.
Sunday night was a perfect example. Baltimore figured out how Pittsburgh was defending bunch sets and crossing routes — and the Steelers never adjusted. The same mistakes kept happening. Four separate coverage busts led directly to massive gains and touchdowns.
At that point, responsibility goes beyond the players. That’s on the coaching.
Austin’s Track Record Raises Red Flags
Austin’s résumé doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. His one real bright spot as a defensive coordinator came in Detroit in 2014, when the Lions finished second in the NFL in points and yards allowed. But the very next year, Detroit fell to 23rd overall.
In Cincinnati, Austin’s tenure ended in November of 2018 after the Bengals famously allowed over 500 yards in three straight games. He was fired midseason.
What we’re seeing now in Pittsburgh feels uncomfortably familiar — talent on paper, breakdowns on the field, and a defense that can’t consistently get off the field when it matters.
This Team Has Too Much Talent for This
This is not a bare-bones defense. Pittsburgh has pass rushers, physical linebackers, and experienced defensive backs. Yet the unit still allowed the Buffalo Bills to run for 249 yards in a 26–7 blowout earlier this season. They still struggle on third down. They still give up explosive plays at the worst possible moments.
The Steelers are surviving despite their defensive issues — not because of them.
And that’s a problem.
No Matter How the Playoffs Go…
Even if Pittsburgh strings together a playoff win or two, the larger issue remains. Mike Tomlin isn’t going anywhere. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the defensive staff should be safe.
The Steelers need new blood, new ideas, and a modern defensive vision that matches the talent on the roster. Whether it’s a proven name like Raheem Morris or one of the rising coordinator candidates around the league, change needs to be on the table.
Because right now, this defense is doing just enough to get by — and far too much to hold Pittsburgh back.
The Ravens didn’t lose Sunday because the Steelers shut them down.
They lost because their kicker missed.
That alone should tell you everything you need to know.