T.J. Watt knows the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense needs to improve after their Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Steelers' defense was not awful in the 25-10 defeat, but it gave up 25 points for the third time in the last four weeks. Watt ripped the unit for being “inconsistent” after the loss, saying it “can't continue to live and die by turnovers,” he told reporters after the game.

“Inconsistent as it could be,” Watt said. “Too much up-and-down, not enough Steeler football. We can't continue to live and die by the turnovers as a defense. We need to get off the field, we need to stop the run. Critical third-downs, we need to do a better job of. No excuse for it. We need to play better.”

Watt is correct; the Steelers are forcing turnovers. Pittsburgh averages 1.8 takeaways per game, the third-best in the NFL. They are also generating pressure at a top-10 rate, resulting in the second-most sacks in the league.

However, they are struggling in almost every other area. The Steelers allow the sixth-most yards per game in the league and continue to struggle through the air, ceding the most passing yards in the league.

Steelers fall to 5-4 with Week 10 loss to Chargers

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during warmups before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium.
Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Sunday Night Football loss was the Steelers' third in their last four games, dropping them to 5-4 on the year. They remain atop the AFC North, but cling to a one-game lead over the resurgent Baltimore Ravens.

Despite the result, Pittsburgh's defense was statistically better in Week 10. They entered the game allowing 29.3 points per game in their previous three outings, but gave up just 314 yards of total offense, substantially fewer than their season average.

The Steelers' struggling secondary seemed to be in a vulnerable position against Justin Herbert, who entered Week 10 leading the NFL in passing yards. However, the group showed improvement with Jalen Ramsey shifting to safety and Brandin Echols moving into the starting lineup.

By giving up 25 points to the Chargers, Pittsburgh has still allowed 28.25 points per game over the last month. The Steelers look to improve on those numbers in Week 11, when they return home for a rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The last time the teams met, the Bengals pulled off a 33-31 comeback victory led by Joe Flacco, who torched the Steelers with 342 passing yards and three touchdowns.