Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Absolutely Rips His Defense For Poor Performance In Baltimore

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered yet another heartbreaking loss. This time the defeat came on the road against the Baltimore Ravens, with a final score of 34-17. The game was close throughout the first three quarters, but Baltimore was able to blow the game open late. Many factors went into the tough loss as the Steelers lost the turnover battle and struggled to contain the Ravens’ rushing attack. Pittsburgh still leads the AFC North, but it had a chance to clinch the division with a win in Baltimore.

Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers’ Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson on the sideline during a game against the New York Jets in 2024.

Mike Tomlin‘s team missed out on a big opportunity to win the division on Saturday. Now, Pittsburgh will likely have to win out the remainder of the 2024 season in order to be promised a home game during the playoffs. Everyone knew it would be a challenge to stop Derrick Henry, but the Steelers could not contain the All-Pro running back. Tomlin spoke about this during his post game press conference, and he was clearly disappointed with the performance from his defense.

“We just didn’t do a good enough job.” Tomlin said when it came to stopping Henry. “Gap integrity, tackling, fundamental things man. They outperformed us in that area.”

Pittsburgh’s defense is usually pretty reliable, especially against the Ravens. Unfortunately that was not the case on Saturday. Henry ran for 162 yards on just 24 carries, and the running back averaged over six yards whenever he touched the football. Other players contributed 58 yards on the ground, including a 25-yard run by Justice Hill.

Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers

Alex Highsmith and the Steelers defense brings down Derrick Henry during the 2024 season.

Tomlin mentioned his poor run defense multiple times during his post game press conference, and the head coach was clearly disappointed in what he saw. Tackling was an issue once again, as it was a big weakness for the Steelers in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. The Steelers’ poor tackling and turnover issues caused them to miss out on a chance to claim the AFC North, which makes the road ahead much more difficult for the team.

The Steelers will have to bounce back quickly as they will now prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day. This will be a quick turnaround as they have just three full days to prepare. The Chiefs have only lost once during the 2024 season, so it will be a tall task to take down the defending champions.

Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers’ DeShon Elliott takes a knee during OTAs in 2024.

Steelers’ Run Defense Could Be Getting A Boost Ahead Of Big Game Against Kansas City

The Steelers were extremely beat up going into their Week 16 game in Baltimore. Starting safety DeShon Elliott was inactive due to a hamstring injury, and Larry Ogunjobi was ruled out with a groin issue. Both of these players are key parts of stopping the run for Pittsburgh, and if the team can get them both back before playing the Chiefs the defense should be in a good spot.

Elliott has clearly been missed. He may play safety, but he is often up around the line of scrimmage making plays against the run. The safety is still second on the defense in tackles even after missing two games, so him returning the lineup is paramount if the Steelers still plan to win the division.

How did you feel about the defense’s performance against the Ravens? Let us know in the comments below!