Seahawks Defense Shredded by Usually-Shaky Steelers Offense: 'We Weren't Right'

The Seattle Seahawks' inability to stop the run was their undoing in Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Seattle Seahawks' playoff hopes may have been dealt a major blow on Sunday, as their 30-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers is putting Seattle's season on the line headed into the final week of the regular season. 

After following up a four-game losing streak with two consecutive wins to get their season back on track, Seattle's recent trend of needing a strong fourth quarter came back to bite them against the Steelers. 

The Seahawks once again found themselves in a tough fight on Sunday, though they were facing a Steelers team that fields one of the league's worst-scoring offenses, which ranked 28th in points per game coming into Sunday. 

Dec 31, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) carries the ball for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field.  / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

However, the Steelers offense seemingly found a rhythm on Sunday despite being down to their third-string quarterback, Mason Rudolph, as usual starter Kenny Pickett deals with an injury, and his backup, Mitch Trubisky, was benched due to poor performances. 

A week after scoring their most points this season in the 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers again managed to break the 30-point threshold against a Seattle defense that went into the contest ranked 24th in points allowed per game at 23.5. 

So, how did Pittsburgh manage to take down the Seahawks? 

The game plan for the Steelers offensively was very familiar to Seattle fans, as Pittsburgh dealt body blows through their physical run game, totaling 202 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Seattle's run defense has been the season's story for that side of the ball. The Seahawks are the league's sixth-worst defense regarding rushing yards allowed per game. 

But it wasn't only the ground game of the Steelers that hurt the Seahawks. Pittsburgh even managed to find success through the air. In his second start of the season, Rudolph completed 18 of his 24 passes for 274 yards. And like he did versus the Bengals, his connection with second-year receiver George Pickens was at the heart of all things good for the Steelers' passing game. 

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Pickens finished with 131 yards and seven receptions against a Seattle secondary that has seen some personnel shifting recently. 

While the loss isn't a death blow to the Seahawks' hopes of making the postseason, it does make their Week 18 matchup clash with the Arizona Cardinals a must-win if they want to keep that hope alive.