Sep 15, 2014 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – So much for an improved run defense.

After allowing 115.6 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry last year, the Steelers spent the offseason attempting to bolster their run defense.

Two games into this season, the improvements look shaky, to say the least. The Steelers (1-1) are actually worse at stopping the run so far, allowing 170 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry.

“It’s going to take some time, unfortunately,” said Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel. “But we don’t have time. We don’t have time for this to be a natural progression. It needs to happen now. It needed to happen yesterday.”

Until the Steelers stop opposing ground attacks, they are going to continue to be gashed. And the big runs seem to be the issue. In two games, the Steelers have allowed seven runs of 15 or more yards.

On the other 59 attempts, Pittsburgh has given up 175 yards, a 2.96 average.

Keisel blames the large number of new faces on the defense. The Steelers have three new starters – safety Mike Mitchell, linebacker Ryan Shazier and defensive end Cam Thomas – and a number of other new players who see regular time.

“(There’s) a reason a defense is a good defense, because they all understand their role and they’re all accountable when the ball is being snapped,” Keisel said. “They are where they are supposed to be. If one guy slips up, if one guy isn’t there, these teams that you’re playing against know how to exploit that and that’s happened to us. We all have to be accountable and understand where we need to be and be there.”

This week’s opponent, the Carolina Panthers, might be a good place to start. Though the Panthers are off to a 2-0 start, they’ve struggled running the ball, averaging just 87.5 yards per game and 3.1 per carry.

But players being in the wrong position hasn’t been the lone problem for the Steelers. Pittsburgh is plagued by missed tackles, 11 against Cleveland and 15 against Baltimore.

The Steelers have done more live tackling in their past two training camps than in the past 20 years. Yet, they are missing more tackles than ever before.

“I think (Vince) Lombardi said it best – it’s more of your mentality and want to,” said Mitchell, who also played for Oakland and Carolina. “I think we went live every period (in training camp), and this is actually the first professional team I’ve played for that ever did that. So whatever we have to do in games to get that mentality to just get people on the ground, that’s what we have to do.

“I don’t think it necessarily comes down to a want-to thing on this team. I think it’s more just execution, getting yourself into the right spots to tackle those high-caliber athletes.”

The Steelers, like the other NFL teams, don’t do live tackling in practice once the season begins. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still work on technique.

“Even (Monday) when we’re in shoulder (pads), you have to work on the little things,” said Keisel. “Even going back to childhood, two-hand touch, get two hands on them. If you get two hands on them, you should be able to get them on the ground. We definitely have to address those things more.”

The Steelers could get wide receiver Lance Moore, who missed the first two games with a groin injury, back this week. … Nose tackle Steve McLendon, who left the game against the Ravens with a shoulder injury, also has a chance to play against the Panthers. … The Steelers are one of just four teams – Detroit, Tennessee and St. Louis are the others – that have not forced a fumble in the first two weeks.