The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense allowed the New England Patriots to score 55 points and Dick LeBeau has been the target of criticism.

"Somebody has to take the blame," linebacker LaMarr Woodley said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "That's just the way it is when you're having a bad season. Last season, I was the one to take the blame. It comes with the territory. Now people want to blame the defensive coordinator."

"There's nothing anyone can say outside our group about coach LeBeau that bothers us," said Ryan Clark. "We know what kind of man he is. We know what kind of work he puts into us, not just as football players but as men. We don't have to defend him. His resume speaks for itself."

LeBeau was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and is now 76. LeBeau has taken Pittsburgh's struggles this season on defense "very hard," according to Troy Polamalu. The issue very could be how the defensive unit has aged and not LeBeau's schemes.