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Queen: Star-Studded Steelers Defense Must ‘Look in the Mirror’
BALTIMORE — The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is pissed off.
One of the top units in the NFL throughout the 2024 season, the highest-paid defensive unit in the league has crumbled the last two weeks, giving up 27 points to the Philadelphia Eagles last week before the dam burst in a 34-17 loss to the Ravens in Baltimore on Saturday.
Derrick Henry ravaged the Steelers rushing defense, gaining an eye-popping 6.8 yards per carry on 24 rushes for 162 yards on the ground.
Lamar Jackson didn’t have a dominant statistical performance through the air, partially because he didn’t need to, but he was surgical in the red zone, hitting a pair of wide-open tight ends for touchdowns on missed communications or assignments in the Steelers defense.
The once-proud unit gave up 30 points to the Ravens for the first time since 2017, ending a stretch of historic dominance.
Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen, who left those Ravens to play for the Steelers this offseason, feels that pain more than most. Returning to the place that drafted him for the first time, Queen said his anger wasn’t even about losing to the Ravens.
“It’s not even Baltimore. It’s just sloppy football,” he said. “I love the game too much for the shit that happened today to just fly by past. It’s just simple stuff that shouldn’t be happening.”
Queen doesn’t see a lack of talent on the Steelers defense. He’s not making an excuse for the injuries to three defensive starters before the game and another during it. Nor does he think that Baltimore ran some kind of genius tactical attack that had the Steelers without answers. The players on that highest-paid defense need to play better.
“Everybody has to be held accountable,” Queen said. “We’ve all got to do our jobs, staring with me. … It can’t be on one person, it can’t be 10 people, it can’t be nine people. It’s got to be all 11. We’ve got to be all 11 on the same string. If the offense turns it over, we’ve got to get that shit back. It’s on us to help this team win. It’s that simple. …
“Games this late in the year, you’ve got to be on one stream, on one accord. Everyone’s gotta be doing their jobs at a high level. If we don’t do our jobs at a high level, then shit’s gonna be getting ugly real quick with the teams that’s coming up.”
The Steelers have a short week of practice before they’ll face the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at home on Wednesday. After that, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals will bring the No. 5 scoring offense to Acrisure Stadium.
“You’ve just got to come in on Monday, or whenever we come in and go to work, be accountable,” Queen said. “If you’re supposed to be in the meeting room, be in the meeting room. If you’re supposed to be at practice doing a certain thing, do what you’re supposed to be doing at practice. Everybody needs to focus on accountability. We’re all grown men, staring from the top to the bottom. You’ve just go to be accountable to your teammates, because if you ain’t doing this for your brother and you ain’t trying to see your bother succeed and you’re just doing your job, you’re doing a disservice to this team, to the organization and the fans.
“Like I said, we’ve got to take a long look in the mirror, personally, individually, and see where this team wants to go. If we’re not all on the same page, they you’ve just got to get off the ship.”
The Steelers are constructed to win with their defense. It didn’t happen on Saturday in Baltimore. They have to find a way to make it start to happen again, and quickly, over the next few weeks.
“It’s that simple,” Queen said. “There’s no excuse for us to not be doing our job with the guys on this team.”
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