Steelers Star Linebacker Admits ‘We Played Like Shit’ After 34-32 Win vs. Jets
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their 2025 campaign with a nail-biting 34-32 victory over the New York Jets, but their defense hardly looked like the dominant unit promised throughout the offseason. Instead, for much of the game, it resembled the group that collapsed late in 2024.
The Jets gashed Pittsburgh for 394 total yards, including 182 on the ground, repeatedly exposing gaps and poor tackling. It was a continuation of the same issues that plagued the Steelers during their late-season skid last year, when they surrendered an average of 157.4 rushing yards per contest across five straight defeats.
By halftime, frustrations were already visible. Players admitted afterward that the unit felt like it was spiraling, unable to set the tone despite weeks of hype about a fresh start. Even in the locker room, the word “embarrassing” came up more than once.
The numbers painted the picture: six Jets scoring drives in their first seven possessions, constant struggles against Justin Fields, and a defense that often looked a step behind. Still, when it mattered most in the final minutes, Pittsburgh delivered stops to seal the win.
One voice in particular captured the mood of the defense, saying bluntly: “We just played like crap. That’s the simplest way I can put it. If we keep playing like that, we’re going to get our face bashed. It’s that simple. I call it how it is. We played like absolute trash.”
That voice belonged to linebacker Patrick Queen, who didn’t hold back when describing the unit’s struggles after the game.
Head coach Mike Tomlin echoed the need for improvement but pointed to the fight his players showed: “Do I like how we played? No. Do I like our inability to stop the run? No — but I love our mindset. Our guys showed they were game for the fight. We played to win. And when you’ve got that, you’ve got enough in the tank to finish at the end.”
The late surge proved decisive. New York’s last two drives ended without points: first a three-and-out, then a desperate four-and-out that ended with a Jalen Ramsey breakup. Queen credited simple adjustments: “We just made an adjustment on that drive, and we got stops. That was huge for the team.”
He added that fundamentals will be the focus this week: “Gap assignment, being physical, just the smaller things. That’s what we’ve got to sharpen.”
As ugly as it was, the Steelers escaped 1-0 instead of absorbing an opening defeat. Queen shrugged as he summed it up: “Yeah, definitely. I’ll take a win all day.”
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