Head coach Mike Tomlin understands criticism directed at Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin in the midst of a two-game losing streak during which the Bengals and Packers combined for 68 points and six touchdown passes.
The Steelers (4-3) are holding onto first place in the AFC North entering November but far off on Tomlin’s own preseason expectations for a defense capable of “historic things.”
“I’ve known Teryl a long time,” Tomlin said on Tuesday. “He’s very capable. He’s very thorough. I’ve largely been pleased with his work, but certainly he and I are not pleased with where we are right now from a defensive unit perspective, and so we’re just going to keep working.”
Tomlin said replacing Austin as the down-to-down defensive playcaller is “not on the table as we sit here today,” but the NFL’s top-ranked offense is on the schedule Sunday. Indianapolis (7-1) would be the No. 1 seed in the AFC if the playoffs began this week and averages 33.8 points and 385.3 yards per game, both tops in the league.
They have a net-TD total of 14, meaning they’ve been in the end zone 14 more times than their opponents in the first eight games of the season. Indianapolis leads the NFL with a scoring margin of 116.
Pittsburgh has scored and allowed the exact same number of points (175).
The Steelers were 5-2 at this point in the 2024 season. One of those losses was a 27-24 defeat at Indianapolis. Running back Jonathan Taylor had 108 total yards, including 88 rushing yards and a touchdown.
But since then, both teams have new quarterbacks — Aaron Rodgers for the Steelers and Daniel Jones with the Colts — and different outlooks. The Colts are 6-0 against the AFC and lead second-place Jacksonville (4-3) in the AFC South by three in the win column.
Tomlin said the Steelers will make “no excuses” for not meeting expectations while emphasizing he believes Pittsburgh can change the narrative.
“Our job is to perform at a high level, and we haven’t done that,” he said. “Seven games or whatever doesn’t make a season. We certainly got more in front of us and more opportunities to write our story, whether it’s individuals, whether it’s a component of our team or whether it’s our team in general. I think that’s our general mindset.”