After giving up 41 points during each of the past two games and an average of more than 400 yards over their past four outings, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense is mired in a slump unlike any it has faced in recent years.
Even likely without some of its best players again Sunday, one of the unit’s most senior members said it’s ripe for a turnaround.
“We just know that we have to make changes,” safety Terrell Edmunds said after Friday’s final practice of the week heading into Sunday’s game against the rival Baltimore Ravens. “We know that something has to change because the routine we have been going through is not the correct routine because we haven’t been blessed with the wins on Sundays.
Terrell Edmunds on the challenge of facing Lamar Jackson and how Ray-Ray McCloud has been doing mimicking Jackson for scout team pic.twitter.com/VXvi2DoKG8
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) December 3, 2021
The Steelers (5-5-1) are on a three-game winless stretch that began with a tie against the winless Detroit Lions and continued through two road games in which opponents scored a combined 82 points.
Coach Mike Tomlin suggested changes — albeit, subtle ones — were in store. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler said the changes won’t be dramatic in regards to schematics.
“To me, we’ve got to have guys who love to play the game, and we’ve got guys like that,” Butler said. “We’ve just got to be more physical. We really do.”
The Steelers have won three of their past five against the Ravens, allowing an average of 21.6 points per game against them in that time. All but two of those games, though, did not feature Baltimore star quarterback Lamar Jackson. And Sunday’s game likely won’t feature Steelers defenders T.J. Watt (covid) and Joe Haden (foot).
“We have to keep on going out there fighting,” Edmunds said. “We have to figure out exactly what we need to do differently in practice and walkthroughs and meetings to turn those losses into wins, so now that’s just our main focus and we have been so motivated this week. Locked in and now we are trying to just go out there and get a win.”
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