PITTSBURGH — Legendary Steelers coach Bill Cowher didn’t hold back when discussing the team’s defensive struggles this week. After Pittsburgh’s 35–25 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Cowher echoed concerns from fans and analysts that the once-feared Steelers defense looks sluggish and out of rhythm.
“They look old,” Cowher said on CBS’s “NFL Today.” “It’s like they’ve lost that edge. You see Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Jalen Ramsey — big names, all leaders. But names don’t win games; execution does. Right now, they’re missing that spark that used to define Steelers football.”
The Steelers currently have one of the NFL’s highest-paid — and oldest — defensive units. Five of Sunday’s defensive starters were 30 or older: Heyward is 36, Darius Slay Jr. is 34, Watt and Ramsey are 31, and Chuck Clark is 30. Once viewed as an elite core, this group now finds itself ranked
30th in yards allowed and 22nd in points allowed heading into Week 9 against the Colts.
“I’m 34. Maybe he puts me in that ‘old’ category,” Darius Slay said with a smile. “But I don’t see it like that. It’s not about age — it’s about being on the same page and staying together.”
Against Green Bay, the Steelers’ defense gave up 244 yards after the catch, exposing issues in tackling and pursuit angles. While some plays came down to positioning, many reflected what critics described as a lack of speed in open-field coverage. Defensive coordinator
Teryl Austin admitted the struggles were frustrating but said the group remains committed to improvement.
“We pride ourselves on being a good tackling team and a physical team,” Austin said. “That can be demoralizing — and it was. But it’s fixable.”
Cowher’s comments drew comparisons to 2011, when Warren Sapp famously declared the Steelers “old, slow, and done” after a poor start — only for that team to rebound and finish 12–4 with the league’s top-ranked defense. Whether this current squad can repeat that turnaround remains to be seen.
Austin stressed that the focus now is consistency, not panic. “It’s about the process,” he said. “Good or bad, that doesn’t change. My job is to make sure our message connects with the players. We’ve been through bad stretches before — this is another test.”
Team captain Cam Heyward echoed that sentiment, issuing a challenge to his teammates following the loss. “I challenge everybody — starting with myself,” he said. “If we want to get this bad taste out of our mouths, it’s time to play better football.”
The Steelers’ defense has been particularly vulnerable late in games, surrendering 11.7 points per fourth quarter, the worst mark in the NFL. Heyward emphasized the need to finish strong: “It’s not just about the fourth quarter — it’s about starting fast, staying focused, and executing when it counts. We can’t rely on the offense to bail us out. We’ve got to take pride in our side of the ball.”
Looking ahead, Pittsburgh faces a tough challenge against the Indianapolis Colts, who are averaging 34 points per game behind Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones. Despite the criticism, Heyward remains optimistic.
“I love challenges,” he said. “We’re going up against one of the hottest teams in football right now. That’s exactly what we need — a chance to prove who we are.”
