Minkah Fitzpatrick Sends Steelers Message About Defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers superstar has offered his advice to fix the defense.

Aug 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) watches the action against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has struggled in their last two games, topped off with a last-second touchdown given up to the Dallas Cowboys, resulting in back-to-back losses after a 3-0 start.

Now, everyone is wondering if the Steelers defense were "pretenders" through the first three games of the season. Despite injuries and a tougher schedule, this group believes they can be one of the best in the NFL. On paper, they're built to be.

Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has a solution to the troubles, though. Speaking after the loss to the Cowboys, he offered a fix to help everyone work together in a better fashion on the defensive side of the ball.

"We have to play simple defense," Fitzpatrick said. "We have a lot of talent in the secondary, a lot of guys who can play man and play zone. We just have to make a play call, simplify it and it will allow us to play fast."

The Steelers' biggest issue has been their secondary, with younger players like Beanie Bishop looking lost at times in coverage. Meanwhile, there are holes in the run game that can be fixed as well. Both of which would likely benefit from a simplied approach.

Pittsburgh's defense is loaded in talent, meaning a simpler approach and game plan could allow them to just play to their star potential. If they do, they're unstoppable, and teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers have seen that.

When they make mistakes, it's nearly impossible to overcome them, and in games with multiple mistakes, it eliminates their chances to win.

Maybe Fitzpatrick is on to something. And if he's saying it to the media, chances are he's saying it to head coach Mike Tomlin. Whether or not they make a change is yet to be known.

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