T.J. Watt says fixing Steelers defense starts with stopping the run

On Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers season ended on the wrong end of a 42-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers defense came out of the gates fast and kept the Chiefs high-powered offense in check.

But the Kansas City offense exploded in the second quarter and the Steelers defense looked gassed and was caught on their heels. After the game, outside linebacker T.J. Watt was asked about how the Steelers defense can get back to what they were in 2019 when this was a dominant unit.

Watt didn’t hesitate when he said first and foremost it starts with finding ways to stop the run. On Sunday the numbers weren’t huge for the Chiefs but running back Jerick McKinnon gashed Pittsburgh for 61 yards on just 12 carries.

The question becomes, how do the Steelers do that? This is a question we will dig into a ton this offseason but the simple answer is personnel. The middle of the Steelers defense needs an overhaul to add speed and physicality.