The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon. The Colts entered the game as 3.5-point favorites, but were quickly shut down by a Steelers defense hungry to finally prove itself in front of its home crowd. Pittsburgh's high-priced unit was among the worst-rated defenses in the league heading into Sunday. Against the Colts – one of the best offenses in football led by head coach Shane Steichen – they flipped the script.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin can add this win to his mantle, and use it as another example of what happens when the front office listens to him. Unfortunately, that likely means Pittsburgh will part with too much draft capital at the NFL trade deadline to aid a team that, at best, will win one postseason game and dip.
Steelers trade deadline additions already paying off
Heck, the Steelers have already upgraded their secondary. Pittsburgh traded a Day 3 pick for former New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, who had a 66.0 coverage grade per Pro Football Focus on Sunday. Considering he had little time to learn the Steelers system – as the trade was only finalized midweek – Dugger performed far better than expected, and deserves plenty of praise. Tomlin did that and then some by giving Dugger the game ball.
"This guy got on a moving train, man, and played a lot of defense for us today, and we needed it. We were really short at the safety position," Tomlin said in his press conference.
That being said, the Steelers defense thrives against quarterbacks just like Daniel Jones. DJ is a one-read QB, and Steichen has made the Colts offense especially easy for him to run. When Jones is forced to get rid of the ball quickly or go to his second read, the end result isn't great. Tomlin shouldn't use one game against the Colts as a barometer for Pittsburgh's trade deadline plans, and his confidence in handing Dugger a game ball when one could argue Alex Highsmith or Payton Wilson deserved it more, is striking.
Mike Tomlin made it clear the Steelers will add at the trade deadline
If Tomlin's game ball to Dugger made anything clear, it's that the Steelers aren't done adding. Pittsburgh had success with its first trade, which gave them some secondary help they desperately needed, so why not make another move? If the Steelers were to fill other obvious voids on the roster, it would be in the secondary, on the offensive line and at wide receiver.
Secondary
Despite adding Dugger, the Steelers have a veteran-laden secondary that has been one of the worst in the league as of this writing. Darius Slay is borderline unplayable, and Jalen Ramsey spent most of his time at safety on Sunday. The Steelers need more help at that position, namely, while shoring up the safety position internally.
Wide receiver
How long have we been talking about the Steelers needing a real WR2? The answer is too long. DK Metcalf is great, and some combination of Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin is passable, at best, as a slot receiver. Pittsburgh signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling just last week, but that was more of a favor to Aaron Rodgers than a real solution. There are some wideouts available, and if Omar Khan can find one who fits Arthur Smith's schene, he could pull the trigger. Let's hope the asking price isn't greater than a Day 3 pick.
Offensive line
The Steelers offensive line has come a long way in the last few weeks, but they need some depth. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh (as Cody Williams pointed out on the Still Curtain podcast above), there isn't much o-line help to be had on the trade market, assuming the Steelers don't want to deal with the Browns. Isaac Seumalo got hurt in Week 9, Broderick Jones continued to struggle and Pittsburgh's offensive line is among the youngest in the league. They can do better.
Why the Steelers should be cautious in trades with pretenders
Mike Tomlin's urgency to win isn't surprising. His contract runs through next season, and his entire reputation is predicated on winning records and making the postseason. The Steelers haven't won a playoff game in a decade. That has to sting from Tomlin's perspective, and the Steelers front office is starting to pay attention. That is the very reason Pittsburgh ought to be cautious at the deadline, rather than letting Tomlin get his way.
If Tomlin gets his way, the Steelers will forfeit draft capital for veteran talent. Tomlin wants to win right now, and end his playoff winless streak as soon as possible. However, as much as general manager Omar Khan might align in that goal, he also needs to keep one eye on the future. Pittsburgh will host the next NFL Draft. The Steelers ought to select their next quarterback then, and fill important gaps in the roster in April, rather than November.
It's a great sign the trade for Dugger worked in the Steelers perspective. That being said, Khan cannot let Tomlin write Pittsburgh's deadline playbook. He already has far too much sway with the Steelers ownership group.