PITTSBURGH — You get what you pay for in America, right?
A steak costs more than a hamburger. A luxury car costs more than a subcompact. A house on the beach costs more than one in the city.
Of course you get what you pay for.
That means the Steelers defense should be great in 2022. It is the NFL's most expensive defense, its players to be paid $116 million, according to spotrac.com.
But the Steelers offense? It is the second-cheapest in the league at $58 million. Only the Chicago Bears will pay their offensive players less.
You know what's crazy?
I have greater concerns about the Steelers defense than I do about their offense.
The defense is top-heavy in pay. Cam Heyward signed a four-year, $65.6 million extension through 2024 before the 2020 season, a deal that looks more and more like an incredible bargain for the team. T.J. Watt became the NFL's highest-paid defensive player at the time when he signed a four-year, $112 million extension through 2025 last summer. Minkah Fitzpatrick signed a five-year, $84.2 million extension last week, making him the league's highest-paid safety.
But three players do not make a defense.
Heyward, Watt and Fitzpatrick played last season when the Steelers gave up 41 points to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati, 36 to Minnesota and Kansas City, and 42 to the Chiefs in the playoffs. The three played when the defense was the worst in the NFL against the run, allowing 229 yards to Detroit, 198 to Cincinnati, 242 to Minnesota, 201 to Cincinnati and 249 to Baltimore.
Fitzpatrick met the media Thursday and called the 42-21 playoff loss to the Chiefs an "embarrassment."
The whole season was an embarrassment for the defense.
I'm not sure it will be significantly better in 2022.
Are you convinced the return of Tyson Alualu will cure the defensive line issues? He is 35 and coming off ankle surgery. Will he last 17 games?
Will Devin Bush be better at inside linebacker with Myles Jack next to him and Brian Flores in his helmet earhole? The Steelers clearly aren't sold on Bush; they declined to pick up his fifth-year option for 2023.
What about the depth at outside linebacker behind Watt and Alex Highsmith? Watt missed two games and parts of four others because of injuries last season. He often taps out of games because he plays so hard.
How about cornerback? Cam Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace are in, Joe Haden is out. I'm not sold on the group.
Will Flores and Teryl Austin be given autonomy to run the defense, or will Mike Tomlin continue to call the plays even though he has failed in that role? Fitzpatrick has spoken highly of Flores and Austin and took it to a new level with Flores on Thursday.
"Coach Flo, he's a piece that we really needed," he said. "He's a detail-oriented coach. He's not a guy that's just going to let things get brushed to the side. He's going to address them, be direct. He's going to get on you. He's a great coach."
High praise for Flores.
Not so much for Tomlin.
All are legitimate questions about the Steelers defense.
The offense also has concerns, to be sure. One is Matt Canada; will his game plans be better in 2022 when he has a more mobile quarterback than Ben Roethlisberger? Two is the offensive line; will the additions of free agents James Daniels and Mason Cole be enough to improve a unit that was awful last season? And three is the depth behind Najee Harris; heaven forbid that he gets hurt with, at least for the moment, only Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland as potential replacements on the roster.
I get the angst.
I get the Steelers offense is the primary reason the wise guys have set the team's over-under win total for 2022 at just 7 1/2 .
But the offense doesn't worry me as much as the defense, silly as that might seem.
A few predictions:
— Mitch Trubisky isn't just going to be the starting quarterback on opening day in Cincinnati on Sept. 11. He's going to be much better than expected because of his athleticism, his experience, what he learned as Josh Allen's backup in Buffalo last season and what he learned through his struggles with Chicago before that.
— Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool will have big seasons unless Johnson pouts over his uncertain contract status. Both are extremely talented.
— Second-round pick George Pickens has a chance to be the best of the receivers, maybe not this season but down the road.
— Pat Freiermuth has the look of a star-to-be. Can you say "Heeeeeath?"
— A bigger, stronger but certainly not fat Harris will take his place as one of the top backs in the NFL if he gets even a little running room from his offensive line.
Bottom line?
If the defense gives the Steelers what they are paying for in 2022, the team will win a lot of games.
