Immediately following the loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated he was open to changes on defense, particularly in the secondary. But after Tomlin’s press conference Tuesday, it’s not clear where those changes might come, if at all.
In front of the media for the first time since his Week 8 postgame press conference, Tomlin emphasized he, his coaches and players have to be better. But Tomlin suggested the team won’t necessarily change what they’re doing.
The most significant change Tomlin could make on defense is at defensive coordinator with Teryl Austin.
The nuclear option would be to part with Austin in a midseason firing. But Tomlin could make a more subtle change by keeping Austin on staff yet taking over defensive play-calling duties.
However, Tomlin shot down any idea of that happening.
“No, that’s not on the table as we sit here today,” Tomlin said of Austin losing defensive play-calling duties. “We just got to keep doing what we’re doing and do it better.”
Tomlin didn’t necessarily defend his defensive coordinator Tuesday. But the head coach didn’t throw him under the bus either.
“I’ve know Teryl a long time. He’s very capable. He’s very thorough,” Tomlin added. “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. So, we’re just going to keep working.”
Mike Tomlin Keeping DC Teryl Austin in Same Steelers Role
The Steelers will enter Week 9 at the bottom of the barrel in a lot of defensive categories. They have been most terrible against the pass, giving up more yards through the air per game than any other NFL defense this season.
But Tomlin’s unit is also 22nd in points allowed, 24th in opponents’ third-down conversion and 30th in yards yielded per game.
The Steelers are near the top of the league in takeaways. However, the team has gone 13 consecutive quarters without forcing a turnover. Pittsburgh’s last takeaway was in Week 4 versus the Minnesota Vikings.
Those statistics and facts aren’t going to allow most defensive coordinators to keep their jobs. Then throw in the fact that the Steelers have dedicated more cap space to their defense than any other team this year, and those defensive numbers are downright embarrassing.
Having said that, the Steelers are historically very reluctant to make coaching changes, especially in the middle of the season. The defense will probably have to get much worse for Austin to lose his job before the end of 2025.
If Tomlin knows this, it would be best for him to try and deflect some attention away from his defensive coordinator.
That doesn’t mean, though, Austin isn’t feeling the heat behind closed doors.
Austin’s Record as Steelers DC
Austin has the reputation around the league as one of the stronger defensive coordinators in the NFL. But from a statistical standpoint, his units have often left something to be desired.
In his first ever season as defensive coordinator, Austin coordinated a Detroit Lions unit that was second in yards allowed and third in points yielded. But that was in 2014.
Over the past decade, Austin has called plays for a defense that finished in the top 12 in yards allowed just once.
Coming into 2025, Austin’s defenses were ranked in the top 10 in points allowed just twice in his past seven seasons as a coordinator. Austin’s Steelers accomplished that feat in 2023 (sixth) and 2024 (eighth).
His defenses, especially in Pittsburgh, have often been opportunistic. Last season, the Steelers led the NFL in takeaways.
But when the Steelers don’t get takeaways against the league’s top teams, they have struggled to win in recent years.
Clearly, Austin will have an opportunity to turn things around for the Steelers defense. If the problems don’t get fixed soon, though, Tomlin is going to start facing weekly questions about the team’s defensive coordinator.
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