Steelers Defense Can’t Stop Top NFL Wide Receivers

PITTSBURGH — There is no secret formula to slowing down the NFL’s top receivers week in and week out. However, the alarm bells go off when those receivers consistently torch one team. So far this season, Pittsburgh has yet to find a solution to stopping top wide receivers against them. To take a look for yourself, here is how those top receivers have fared against the Steelers’ secondary so far.

Week 1: Brandon Aiyuk 8 rec. 129 yds, 2 TD

Week 2: Amari Cooper 7 rec. 90 yds

Week 3: Davante Adams 13 rec. 172 yds, 2 TD

Week 4: Nico Collins 7 rec. 168 yds, 2 TD

Simply put, that’s not good enough. The veterans were there for security and experience but busted coverages and extended plays remained under their watch. People are clamoring for the young Joey Porter Jr. to start, but defensive coordinator Teryl Austin says that won’t happen yet.

“No, not yet,” Austin said. “He’s working hard, I like the way he’s working. He’s making strides, but is he ready for a full-time look right now? I’m not sure I can say that I really feel great about that yet. But he’s working in the right direction, trending in the right direction, and at some point, we expect him to be out there.”

So, what can the team do to slow down top receivers? Pittsburgh faces a talented Ravens wide receiver corps that boasts Odell Beckham Jr., Rashod Bateman, and Zay Flowers. Flowers, in particular, is a rookie who can take advantage of what Pittsburgh brings to the table on the back end. The Ravens love to dial up shot plays for him, and Pittsburgh’s secondary has faced the highest average target depth this season. Austin says that the solution must come from communication and an all-around effort rather than just one guy.

“We have to. You’re right,” Austin said. “We have to do a better job when we see these guys and identify these guys and we know what they’re capable of. We’ve got to do a better job of stopping them. And again, we’ve got to do, scheme-wise we’ve got to do a better job. That’s obviously me. And player-wise we have to do a better job recognizing where this guy is,so we don’t let them wreck the game. You’re right, we’ve had three receivers have outstanding games against us. We have to do a better job.”

The Steelers must limit explosive plays against the Ravens to shock everyone and pull off the upset. It won’t be easy to do that, especially with plenty of speed in the new Ravens offense. That’s before mentioning tight end Mark Andrews, who is set to see a lot of Minkah Fitzpatrick. But the point remains that Pittsburgh has yet to slow down those top receivers, and something has to give sooner than later.