Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex wants to see more out of linebacker Patrick Queen . He believes the former LSU product hasn't lived up to his three-year, $41 million contract that he signed in March of 2024.
"I have my eyes on Patrick Queen this week. He signed with the Steelers last year for big money. I don't think we've gotten our money's worth yet," Essex said on The Snap Count podcast.
The Steelers got gashed on the ground for 182 yards (4.7 average) in last Sunday's 34-32 win over the New York Jets . The linebacker play wasn't great, but the bigger issue was the defensive line get pushed back and not getting off blocks.
Former Steelers nose tackle Chris Hoke did not hold back on second-year linebacker Payton Wilson 's performance against the Jets. Hoke believes Wilson was the main culprit for the Steelers' run defense woes.
"No-show by Payton Wilson in the tackles. You're an inside linebacker, you've got to be one of the top two or three guys in tackles in the game," Hoke said on the Steelers Extra Point postgame show . "Didn't see a lot of him. I think that's what he meant at halftime when Coach Tomlin was talking about guys getting on, getting off blocks, shedding blocks, making plays. He's one of those guys. He's got to look at the film and improve. I believe that he did not get off blocks enough and needs to make more plays for this Steelers defense."
Wilson finished with five tackles in the Steelers' 34-32 win over the Jets, but most of them were when he was chasing plays down. He did have a tackle for loss and one pass defensed, however. His TFL came on a third-and-1 play in the second quarter that forced a field goal.
Hoke also thinks nose tackle Keenau Benton needs to pick up his game.
"He's got to be a little bit better. He was short on some of his gaps. He tries to make plays and he's got to play with technique and that's one of the things when I watch the film, keep pushing, keep pushing," Hoke said. "Get in your gap. Don't come off to try and make plays, you get yourself out of position and that opens up a gap in the middle of the defense, and that's what you saw today."
Queen was not happy with what the defense displayed.
"We (the defense) played like shit. I am not going to sugarcoat it, we played like shit and if we keep playing like that, we are going to get our face mashed in," Queen said after Sunday's game. "It's that simple. I call it like it is, and we played like absolute trash."
Queen said it was minor details that derailed the defensive unit on Sunday.
"It was small things. Just staying in gaps, being physical and not getting off blocks," he explained. "Every now and then, someone's got to make a play. Sometimes we chase plays."
The defense stopped the Jets on their final two drives, so the unit at least finished the game strong. Queen is happy to fix the mistakes off a win.
"Yeah definitely. I'll take a win all day," he said.
Wilson also looks forward to cleaning up the mistakes.
"Week One, just a lot of new guys around. We have to continue to communicate. Continue to make adjustments on field and not wait so long to make them," Wilson said. "I think it's just all about getting back in the film room and be able to correct those things.
"I think we have the pieces. We have the people calling the right plays. We just have to execute what they're calling."
Alan Saunders and Brenden Howe provided reporting for East Rutherford N.J. and Pittsburgh .
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Former Steelers OL Puts Patrick Queen on Notice: 'I Don't Think We've Gotten Our Money's Worth Yet'
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