Still coursing with adrenaline after sealing the Pittsburgh Steelers' 24-21 win with a fourth-down pass break-up at Dublin's Croke Park, DeShon Elliott had to get something off his chest.
"I should've picked it, first off," he told ESPN in his on-field postgame interview as he shook his finger, punctuating his point. "I didn't know I was that close to the ball. I should've picked it."
If he had managed to nab Carson Wentz's last-ditch heave to Jordan Addison two weeks ago, that would have been Elliott's second interception of the afternoon along with six tackles, a sack-fumble, two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss in his first game action since sustaining an MCL sprain in the Week 1 win against the New York Jets.
"It felt amazing," Elliott said of his performance in his first game back. "I've been injured a lot in my career, so having those trials and tribulations, man, all those ups and downs -- really when my knee got hurt, I thought I was out for the season. So being able to come back and play with my guys, knowing that my energy is contagious, knowing that my aggressions are contagious. ... Cameron [Heyward], T.J. [Watt], PQ [Patrick Queen], I know we going to hunt, so hey, I'm excited, more turnovers to go this year."
WELCOME BACK DESHON‼️
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 28, 2025
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But for all the emotion in Elliott's once-improbable return, it was the almosts and the what-ifs that still nagged at the safety. As a unit, the Steelers' defense built on their five-takeaway performance against the New England Patriots with two more against the Vikings, and held Minnesota to six first-half points. But allowing 15 fourth-quarter points largely overshadowed the positives of the afternoon.
In their division-opening game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), the Steelers' defense wants to build on the first-half performance of the Vikings win, one that was made possible in large part because of Elliott's return.
"Our defense is getting better," Elliott said in Ireland. "We can't have those mental busts at the end. They scored two touchdowns in the second half. We held 'em to six [points] in the first half. We got to stay that and keep that, so we can be one of the best defenses in the league. We're opportunistic, obviously, but we got to stop being a bend-and-don't break defense. We got to get more third down stops to get off the field, but at the end of the day, we got a dub."
Those busts included giving up an 81-yard catch-and-run explosive play from Wentz to Addison, stopped just short of the goal line thanks to Payton Wilson's sprint -- one that topped out at 22.48 mph according to NFL Next Gen Stats -- to catch the speedy wide receiver and drag him down short of the score. Even so, the Vikings scored four plays later for their second touchdown of the fourth quarter, capping a 99-yard drive to pull within three points of the Steelers. Despite the near-collapse in the fourth quarter, the Steelers defense still turned in its most complete performance of the season as they held the Vikings to 5.2 yards per play, including 3.5 yards per carry -- the Steelers' best mark of the season.
"You'd be remiss if you didn't talk about the presence of DeShon Elliot being a major component," coach Mike Tomlin said of the improvement in the run defense. "I thought his presence was significant in that game last week being a down safety, a guy that plays in and around the line of scrimmage."
Elliott's return helped shore up the run defense because of his well-timed and heat-seeking tackles, and he also gave a boost to the entire unit as the secondary's veteran communicator -- something that was key when several defensive backs missed snaps against the Vikings with injuries. Elliot's continued presence on the field will be especially important facing the Browns with their emerging run game led by rookie Quinshon Judkins and tight end-heavy pass game anchored by veteran David Njoku and rookie Harold Fannin Jr.
"That's the position that he plays as a hub of communication, and so we're happy to have him back," Tomlin said Tuesday. "He's a good blitzer. Last week he had an interception and the sack fumble, and I think I'm more excited about having those tangible things back than some of the things that we're discussing."
Though Tomlin downplayed the importance of Elliott's intangibles, his teammates were quick to point out their value -- especially because noticeable communication issues led to busts and big negative plays during Elliott's two-game absence.
"He got the biggest mouth on the team," Queen said this week as he shook his head and laughed. "Dude doesn't shut up, but when you're on the field, that's the best thing about it. Just continuous communication. Even sometimes when he don't know what the hell he's talking about, dude's on point. He makes plays. I just love having him back, and I love hearing him talk."
In addition to Elliott's continued presence, the Steelers' secondary is also on track to get a boost from the return of starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who has been sidelined since injuring his hamstring in the season opener. His return comes at a crucial point, too, because the availability of versatile defensive back Jalen Ramsey is in doubt for Sunday's game after the veteran injured his hamstring late in the win against the Vikings. That could shift free agency addition Brandin Echols, who filled in outside during Porter Jr.'s absence, to the nickel. James Pierre could also continue to rotate in, even with Porter Jr.'s return.
With so many moving pieces, Elliott's role as a communicator is that much more important.
"That's my guy right there," Queen said. "He just brings a different motor, a lot of communication, a lot of hardnosed football, a lot of anger. The dude [was] pissing me off before the game, try to get me hype and stuff. So definitely love him. Definitely missed him, and I'm glad he's back."