The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 heading into the bye weekend. Jim Wexell of 247sports.com spoke with WESA All Things Considered host Jeremy Scott about the season.
Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Jeremy Scott: Jim, the Steelers get their bye smack dab in the middle of the 17-game season. So with three sleeps left until the general election, I want you to put on your presidential hat and tell us, President Wexell, what is the state of the Steelers as we head into the second half of the 2024 season? Jim Wexell: So if I'm president, I only have three more days left, right? Scott: I guess that would be the case in this scenario.
Wexell: Okay. Well, my parting gift to you. Yeah, the state of the Steelers.
I want to complain about their defense. But, you know, teams have been running against their nickel. And I think they're just going to change schematically a little bit.
Scott But let's clarify for the non-football fanatics among us. "Nickel" refers to a defensive package with five defensive backs on the field as opposed to just the base. Wexell: Teams have been running against their five defensive backs package and only two defensive linemen up front and two outside linebackers.
And they're sturdy outside linebackers, so they come off as 4-3, old school, four-man line defensive ends, but they're all light. Their tackles are light. They don't have those big beefeaters.
They don't have Casey Hampton, they don't have what the Ravens have up front: a coupl.