With veteran inside linebacker and high-priced free agent acquisition Patrick Queen below fireplace after the season’s first month, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin got here to his protection a bit Thursday.
Austin, who spoke with reporters Thursday forward of the Steelers’ Week 5 Sunday Night Football matchup in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys, acknowledged that Queen has been “outstanding” from a communication side and that he’s been every part the Steelers thought he was once they signed him as a free agent to a three-year, $41 million deal.
“He’s been outstanding. He has been outstanding. He is everything we thought he was,” Austin stated of Queen and his communication, in line with the transcript supplied by the group. “That’s actually type of what leaders do when issues don’t go proper. He put that on his shoulders.
“We comprehend it’s not simply him, however he put it on his shoulders, however it’s all of us, and we've to do a greater job at that.
Queen is coming off a tough efficiency in opposition to the Indianapolis Colts within the Steelers’ 27-24 loss. He missed two tackles, wasn’t very aggressive attacking downhill in opposition to the run, and struggled to speak calls clearly defensively, resulting in some key breakdowns in protection, two of which led to touchdowns.
After the sport, Queen — to his credit score — took the blame for the communication points, He known as the communication points unacceptable on his half, and he’s proper.
At this level in his profession, and the place he performs, he has to have the ability to talk rapidly and clearly. In Week 4, he didn’t try this.
Queen didn’t appear to do a lot of something nicely in opposition to the Colts, which raised some eyebrows on movie, and makes Austin’s feedback on Thursday all of the extra curious. “Outstanding” will not be a phrase that many would use to explain Queen’s play to date, however it’s not a shock his defensive coordinator would stick up for him by way of the media.
Sunday’s efficiency in opposition to the Colts wasn’t the one regarding displaying from the standout linebacker early in his Steelers tenure, both. Former Steelers defensive lineman and Super Bowl champion Chris Hoke had some criticism for Queen after Week 2 in opposition to the Broncos, and in Week 4 in opposition to the Colts the movie was regarding from a scarcity of physicality perspective.
Even the Pro Football Focus grades for Queen are a large number. Against the Colts, Queen performed 66 snaps and graded out at a 40.4 overall, together with a 30.0 run protection and a 29.8 as a tackler. On the season, Queen sits at a grade of 41.1 total.
That’s ugly.
Things don’t look good proper now, however it’s no time to panic. Queen’s simply seemingly going by way of some rising pains adjusting to a brand new group and a brand new protection. Inside the Steelers’ constructing there may be nonetheless quite a lot of perception in Queen, and primarily based on Austin’s feedback, coaches are happy with his play, management and communication.
Hopefully that begins displaying up on the sector persistently transferring ahead, and shortly.
