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Three Keys to a Pittsburgh Steelers Victory in Week Two

By Chris Ross

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 08: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers hands the ball off to James Conner #30 during the game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 08: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers hands the ball off to James Conner #30 during the game between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Joe Haden, Pittsburgh Steelers
JACKSONVILLE, FL – NOVEMBER 18: Joe Haden #23 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Pittsburgh Steelers at TIAA Bank Field on November 18, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Improve in the Secondary

Poor play in the secondary is nothing new for the Steelers, but in Week One, the Patriots showed how big of an issue this truly is. Tom Brady is a tough test for any defense, but at the end of the day, you can’t allow him to play as he did on Sunday night. Brady put up a 341 yard, three-touchdown performance that included several huge plays. Terrell Edmunds, the former 2018 first-rounder, struggled with tackling and in coverage, and Joe Haden looked overwhelmed and out-of-sync. They aren’t the only ones to blame, however, as Steven Nelson, Mike Hilton and Sean Davis were all sure to get torched at various points as well.

At some point, the talent in the secondary has to start playing to their potential. Edmunds has the potential to be a Pro Bowler while Haden has already been there. Nelson has previously shown talent in coverage and while Hilton and Davis have each struggled they do have NFL-level ability.

The fact of the matter is, this secondary has too much talent to be getting carved up by the likes of Phillip Dorsett. Whether it’s putting together a better game plan or players playing up to their potential, improvement in the back end is necessary to get back on track. Against a Seattle team with a dangerous quarterback in Russell Wilson and an emerging receiving corps, Week Two might prove to be a make-or-break point for the Steelers secondary. Without improvement, they may be in for another rough week.

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