Ryan Clark issues blunt warning to Mike Tomlin's defense ahead of Steelers vs. Colts Week 9 clash

Former NFL safety and analyst Ryan Clark believes the Week 9 game between Mike Tomlin's Steelers and Shane Steichen's Colts will be a “nightmare” for Pittsburgh’s defensive unit.

On Friday's NFL Live on ESPN, Clark and ESPN reporter Evan Kaplan discussed how the game could affect the Steelers' position in the AFC North standings. Clark pointed out the faltering defense.

“The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is no longer that vaunted unit that it used to be in the past,” Clark said. “When you look at the second half of that Green Bay Packer game, 20 straight completions for Jordan Love. Emmanuel Wilson able to run out the clock with physicality. That just can’t happen, and it normally doesn’t happen in Pittsburgh.”

“And if they don’t change some things, and I mean change things immediately, they’re in trouble. But with the Indianapolis Colts coming into town, offensively, they do all the things that give the Steelers problems.”

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Ryan Clark says the Steelers matchup against the Colts is a nightmare: “The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is no longer that vaunted unit that it used to be in the past. When you look at the second half of that Green Bay Packer game, 20 straight completions for Jordan Love.

Pittsburgh has allowed 1694 passing yards in 2025, with a completion rate of 65.8% and an average of 7.2 yards per attempt. The team averages allowing 25.0 points per game, No. 19 in the NFL. The unit’s struggles have been further underscored by a league-high missed-tackle rate of 18.2% early in the season, which has allowed ball-carriers to gain the third-most yards after misses among all teams.

On the flip side, the Indianapolis Colts are averaging 33.8 points per game. They are No. 1 in the league, while allowing only 25.0 points per game to opponents. Expert previews list the Colts as favorites ahead of the game, as their offensive edge and setting the total game-points line at 50.5.

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Steelers owner Art Rooney II is growing frustrated with Mike Tomlin amid the defensive collapse

The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing internal tension as owner Art Rooney II grows frustrated with coach Mike Tomlin over the team’s lack of postseason success and defensive struggles. According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac, Rooney isn’t “angry” but “frustrated or impatient” with the results.

The Steelers, on a two-game losing streak, have allowed over 30 points in four of seven games despite fielding the NFL’s highest-paid defense. Mike Tomlin, who signed an offseason extension, remains secure for now, but another poor finish could put his tenure in jeopardy.

It’s been eight years since Pittsburgh last won a playoff game, and ownership’s patience appears to be thinning as the once-dominant defense continues to falter under Tomlin’s leadership.