It's something they have talked about. Something they prepare for every week. Something that is a primary focus for the defense.
But on Thursday night, no matter how much they worked on trying to stop the Cleveland Browns lethal duo at running back, they weren't able to.
"They dominated the line of scrimmage last night," said safety Terrell Edmunds. "That's something that we definitely have to push back. We can't just let guys run down on us. It's something we have to work on, something we have to get better at. We've been singing the same song so we've gotta figure out exactly what we've got to do to get better."
The combo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were a handful for the defense to handle. Chubb rushed for 113 yards on 23 carries and Hunt added 47 yards on 12 carries.
"Going up against two great backs, maybe one of the best duos of backs this league has ever seen," said linebacker Robert Spillane. "I've got a lot of respect for those guys. We have to do a better job of tackling, getting 11 hats to the ball and making plays. The more we can do that going forward, the more games we will end up winning.
"We need to continue to make plays. Be where we are supposed to be. Tackle. Fly around. Be good teammates to each other. Communicate. I think we've got a lot to work on, a lot to focus on this week. We'll get to it."
Spillane and Edmunds both preached the importance of gang tackling, of everyone getting to the ball, being there to help each other out.
"It's all about gang tackling, everybody running to the ball, wrapping up," said Edmunds. "We knew that about Chubb. We know that he is a dynamic back. We had to try our best to limit him. He got a lot of yards after contact. We just have to gang tackle everybody right to the ball."
After ranking last in the NFL against the run in 2021, a big focus this offseason was stopping the run. Edmunds said that focus won't stop.
"It's everybody just flying to the ball," said Edmunds. "Missed tackles happen during the game, but you have to have your other friends, other teammates right there having your back on the field. We have to all go out there and make plays together."
While the loss to the Browns leaves the Steelers at 1-2, the one thing to keep in mind is there are still 14 games to play, and a lot can happen.
"We have a lot of games left to play," said Edmunds. "A lot of get better to do. That is our whole mindset. We are watching film to see what we can do to get better and go week to week and take those steps in the right direction."
