It looked like a case of deja vu based on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ inability to defend the run Sunday in their season opener against the New York Jets.

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, though, didn’t get those vibes as he exited MetLife Stadium following a 34-32 victory against the New York Jets after his unit was gouged for 182 rushing yards.

The previous time the Steelers played a meaningful game — a January playoff loss at Baltimore — the defense permitted an alarming 299 rushing yards.

“No, it was the not the same thing,” Austin said Thursday. “I did not feel … I thought it was different. It wasn’t that.”

Austin was referencing to the way the Steelers were pushed around by the Ravens in that 28-14 playoff defeat. It was such a disheartening performance that the Steelers have five new members of the defensive line on the 53-man roster this season, including a pair of draft picks. They also made changes in the secondary with physicality in mind.

“I didn’t think we got knocked around. I thought we missed some opportunities,” Austin said. “I didn’t feel that (same) way. I knew (how) I felt coming off that field in Baltimore last year, and I didn’t feel the same way this year. I feel good about this group, good that they will rebound, and we’ll play better moving forward.”

The chance to make amends begins Sunday in the home opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

Unlike the Jets, who had a running threat at quarterback in Justin Fields, the Seahawks have a more conventional pocket passer in Sam Darnold. And they had difficulty establishing the run in a season-opening 17-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, averaging 3.2 yards per carry and finishing with 84 rushing yards. Zach Charbonnet led with 47 yards rushing on 12 carries, and Kenneth Walker totaled 20 yards on 10 attempts.

After watching tape of the way the Jets carved up the interior of the Steelers defense, it would be reasonable to expect the Seahawks to try to establish the run Sunday. The Jets, after all, averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Running back Breece Hall, on his way to a game-high 107 yards rushing, broke four runs of at least 10 yards.

“We have to answer for that,” defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said. “Guys have to get off blocks up front. If we get doubled, we have to maintain our gaps. Everybody has an assignment. Run defense isn’t just an up-front job. There’s a back-end perspective. It all works together. We can’t make excuses. We have to get better.”

What was surprising about the performance is it came in spite of the commitment the Steelers made to atone for their poor playoff showing in Baltimore. Derrick Harmon was drafted in the first round, but he was unavailable because of a knee injury that also will keep him sidelined against Seattle. Yahya Black was a fifth-round pick who was one of the defensive stars of training camp. The Steelers also signed Daniel Ekuale in free agency while moving on from Larry Ogunjobi and Montravius Adams.

The rotation against the Jets, however, looked similar to what the Steelers used in 2024. Heyward and nose tackle Keeanu Benton started, as did Isaiahh Loudermilk, who filled in for Harmon. They accounted for the three highest snap totals in the line’s rotation.

Black played 24 snaps as the top backup. Ekuale was on the field for 10 plays. Logan Lee, in his first healthy season, played one snap, and Esezi Otomewo, another offseason signing, was inactive.

The Steelers also put an added emphasis on stopping the run since the first day of organized team activities in May.

“I don’t have a concrete answer,” Heyward said. “All I can do is be a better me and a better player. If you win those games, it’s easier to close the book. Our perspective is we can be a lot better.”

That sentiment extends to Benton, who at times looked overmatched when trying to fend off the Jets offensive linemen. Entering his third year, Benton is expected to be hitting his prime as a nose tackle. He didn’t look the part against the Jets.

“With big guys, everybody thinks it’s brute strength,” Austin said. “There’s a lot of things we’re working on at all positions to be technically better. There is a lot of what Mike (Tomlin) likes to call ‘kick (butt).’ Sometimes, you’ve got to get off a block, beat a block and win.”

Black, the heaviest player on the team at 330 pounds, could be one answer if Benton continues to struggle. He played most of his snaps further down the defensive line as the Steelers tried to utilize his athleticism while trying to defend the run.

“We’ve seen really good progress from him,” Austin said. “As the season goes on, he’ll continue to get better and grow. We’ll find a place for him.”

Improvement can’t come soon enough for the Steelers, who would prefer to eliminate any further references to the defense’s showing against the Ravens and Jets.

“It happened,” Austin said. “Every now and then you have a stinker like that. You don’t like them. It gives us an opportunity to get back to work and be better at it this week.”

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