Steelers defensive end Larry Ogunjobi embracing the challenge the Bills present
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (KDKA) – Larry Ogunjobi was expected to sign a mega-deal this offseason with Chicago, especially after his successes in Cleveland and Cincinnati.
Until it fell through because of a failed physical.
That led him to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Despite having one of the highest-paid defenses in the NFL, the Steelers defense has been under a lot of scrutiny but for Ogunjobi, that comes with the territory.
"I feel like we're headed in the right direction," he said. "The losses that are so close are super frustrating when you know you're right at that brink. That one play, that one moment where the game can change. The biggest thing right now is just to keep going."
Even without TJ Watt who continues to recover from a pectoral injury, Ogunjobi believes the makeup is there to be an elite defense.
"I think it's just continuing to have attention to detail," Ogunjobi said. "It's finding those splash plays, those game-changing plays, it comes with time. I've been through something like this before, being in Cleveland and Cincinnati, I've seen it. I've seen how it works. The biggest thing is staying focused on the task at hand, you have to trust the process. The process is what makes the destination worthwhile."
With a 1-3 record and facing down the odds-on Super Bowl favorite today in Buffalo, there's surprisingly no panic in the Steelers locker room.
"We can't," he said. "Really, the majority of the league is 2-2, so we're really just one behind and we're 1-1 in the division. Everything we want is still in front of us, we just have to find ways to win. I have a good feeling about it.
"No need to hit the panic button, it's not where we want to be, of course, but you look in the mirror and find ways to get it done."
For the defense, the Bills present a unique challenge and a chance to make a statement.
"This is what you live for," Ogunjobi said definitively. "The big games, the big moments, the great challenges ahead, you can't shy away from it. You can't be a toe-tester, you got to jump in the water head-first and give it your all.
"This is a team that works extremely hard, I see it in the work we do each week. I'm excited for it. It's the only way it should be."
Ogunjobi will be a key to the Steelers' potential success today as they will look to contain Bills' quarterback Josh Allen as well as the rest of a potent Buffalo offense.