PITTSBURGH – Jabrill Peppers‘ impactful return to the field ignited a defensive surge for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week 3 victory over the new england Patriots, fueling a five-takeaway performance that sealed a crucial win. After missing the previous game, Peppers’ presence was felt instantly as the Steelers’ defense forced multiple turnovers and a game-ending turnover on downs.
The Steelers’ defensive turnaround comes at a pivotal moment, following a challenging start to the season.While the win provides momentum, the defense acknowledges there’s room for advancement despite the positive outcome. The team now looks ahead to a Week 4 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings (2-1), seeking to build on this progress.
Peppers celebrated his return,eventually heading to the team buses while enjoying the victory,but the Steelers defense understands the need to quickly refocus.Despite the five takeaways and a final stop by cornerback Brandin Echols, the defense conceded 369 yards and allowed the Patriots to convert 4-of-5 fourth-down attempts. New England also controlled possession for nearly six minutes longer, sustaining drives with explosive plays on third down, including three on third-and-long.
“I’m still pissed off,” linebacker Patrick Queen said, reflecting his pursuit of perfection. “I just like perfection, and I know I could have had some plays out there. … I ain’t going to be perfect, but I strive for that, and any little thing is going to piss me off.”
Queen emphasized the team’s potential for further growth.”Some people might say we played good. I feel like it’s another step that you could take. I feel like it’s a whole nother level that we could take it to. Just a little bit, a little bit, a little better. Not much. I feel like if we click on all cylinders, that team don’t score.”
While consistently forcing five turnovers isn’t a enduring strategy, the timely plays proved decisive and offer a path forward for a unit seeking to rebound from a tough start to the season.
“We’ve got another notch to it,and I’m not one to cover up anything,” Queen said. “I think that’s the truth. So we just got to go out there. We did better today. I think it’s like I said, another level. So we’re just going to go out there to practice this week, get better at those things and come back fire.”
