Linebacker Patrick Queen and the Pittsburgh Steelers defense struggled considerably covering Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft in Week 8. Kraft posted seven catches for 143 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 35-25 Green Bay victory.
That could foreshadow bad things to come for the Steelers defense. Pittsburgh will host rookie tight end star Tyler Warren and the Indianapolis Colts on November 2 in Week 9.
However, Queen vowed Sunday night the Steelers defense will fix its coverage on tight ends immediately.
The linebacker didn’t say how it would be fixed. But he essentially promised it would.
“It’s going to be resolved,” Queen said. “It’s going to be resolved this week.”
Patrick Queen, Steelers Defense Struggling to Cover Opposing TEs
The Steelers defense had so much trouble stopping the run and slowing down the Cincinnati Bengals star receivers that after Week 7, Pittsburgh’s coverage on opposing tight ends was an afterthought.
But it isn’t anymore after Kraft led the Packers in receiving and torched the Steelers defense for two scores.
Kraft, though, wasn’t the first tight end to have a big game against Mike Tomlin’s unit this season.
The Steelers also allowed New England Patriots‘ Hunter Henry and Cleveland Browns’ Harold Fannin to post at least 80 receiving yards. Furthermore, the Steelers have yielded six receiving touchdowns to tight ends in seven games this season.
With that in mind, it’s hard to foresee how Queen’s statement that the Steelers will fix the problem this week comes true. But it would certainly help the unit if the team can do a better job containing tight ends.
That’s because the Steelers will face arguably the top rookie at the position in Week 9.
In eight games, Warren already has 37 catches for 492 yards and three touchdowns for the Colts. The rookie is averaging 13.3 yards per reception.
Warren doesn’t have any massive receiving games. But he has posted more than 50 yards every week but two.
Warren has also scored all three of his touchdowns since the start of October.
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