Back in the preseason, Mike Tomlin talked about his defense being capable of doing “historic things,” especially with it being the highest-paid unit in the league. Fast forward eight weeks, and it’s been anything but that. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense has looked like one of the worst in football. And right in the middle of it all is defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.

That naturally raises a question: Could Tomlin actually move on from his DC? Probably not mid-season. But according to the Steelers’ beat reporter, Nick Farabaugh, there’s a good chance Tomlin might step in, take over some of the play-calling duties, and get more involved with the defense himself.

“I talk to players, that’s who (Austin) they got to get the adjustments done, not Mike T (Tomlin). Teryl Austin,” Farabaugh said on 93.7 The Fan, when Joe Starkey pointed out that Austin has the play-calling duties. “So if you have any suggestions to go to Teryl Austin, that tells me he’s got at least the duty on game day.

“…I think, there’s this kind of idea out there at points that you know moving on from TA (Austin) would do nothing. And I don’t really agree with that. I think it would bring a fresh voice. There’s even an argument to be made that maybe Mike T needs to get more involved. I think, you know, just to see what that looks like.”

Translation: Moving on from the DC might not be an option for the Steelers, sure. But taking the play-calling duties away in some manner and getting Tomlin more involved could work in favor of the Steelers. And at this point, that could be a suitable option. Why? For starters, after a rough 35-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Coach Tomlin defended Austin.

“I’ve known Teryl a long time,” Tomlin said. “He’s very capable. He’s very thorough. I’ve largely been pleased with his work, but certainly he and I are not pleased with where we are right now from a defensive unit perspective, and so we’re just going to keep working.”

Secondly, the defense has been bleeding yards and giving up points like water slipping through open hands in the past couple of games. In Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers allowed Cincy to pile up 470 total yards and score 33 points. Joe Flacco was efficient as well, as the quarterback completed 31-of-47 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns.

The sequel to the ugly defensive performance was released just ten days later. Only this time, it was the home game against the Packers. Green Bay tallied 454 yards, and the Steelers’ defense just couldn’t contain Jordan Love. The quarterback completed 29-of-37 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns. Next up?

It’s the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, led by Daniel Jones, who have the best offense (averaging a league-leading 33.8 points and 385.3 yards per game) and are the top team in the league. Long story short: The journey from here will just get tougher for Mike Tomlin and his defense. Now’s the question: Will Tomlin get involved in the defense more than usual? We’ll see.

Mike Tomlin got the reinforcement on the secondary

The Steelers’ defense hasn’t been up to the mark this season. One of the reasons is the injuries. The Steelers will face the Colts in Week 9 without their strong safety DeShon Elliot. Per reports, Elliot hyperextended his knee in the second half against the Packers.

Later, Coach Tomlin noted that Elliot is now considered “week-to-week,” which brings us to the obvious question: Who’ll replace the 28-year-old safety? Well, as per reports, the New England Patriots just sent safety Kyle Dugger to the Steelers. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed. And chances are that Dugger will potentially replace Elliot on the roster.

Rapoport further reported that the Steelers will place Elliot on the injured reserve to make room for Dugger. A former second-rounder, Dugger started for the Patriots in the last four seasons. However, he failed to do so in most of the games this season. Fast forward to now, and considering he’s expected to replace Elliot, expect him to line up behind the front-five on Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin’s defense.