Tendencies often lead to identities. In sports, especially in the NFL, a team’s tendencies define who they are — for better or worse. When a pattern forms long enough, it becomes a reputation. For decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ identity was crystal clear: tough, relentless, and defensively dominant. But as we reach the midpoint of the 2025 regular season, that proud defensive identity has begun to fade before our eyes.
This isn’t a minor setback or an overreaction to one bad game. It’s a full-blown identity crisis. And Sunday night’s 35–25 loss to the Green Bay Packers only added to the growing pile of evidence that something deeper is wrong in Pittsburgh.