Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Thursday.
The Kickoff
I’m always amused – and sometimes bewildered – by Steelers fans who go literally bonkers about signing “name” guys. That’s a term I use for players who were once thought to be draft targets of the team and/or have had really nice careers and made a name for themselves. Oh and the last part is that the player is also past their prime. Jabrill Peppers is a ‘name’ guy. He had a very nice career at Michigan and has had a solid NFL career as well. But there’s also a reason why he was available. Peppers signed a one-year deal with the Black and Gold after DeShon Elliott went down with an MCL sprain. Like other veteran players on the down sides of their careers, Peppers comes to Pittsburgh looking to help and maybe get one final contract. I see him largely playing in the box with Juan Thornhill playing deep and Chuck Clark doing a bit of both.
So Fortunate…
The ball hit the ground three times. Twice it was fumbled by Steelers and once it was fumbled by the Jets. All three however were recovered by the Black and Gold. The Jets also had two Aaron Rodgers’ passes literally in their hands but couldn’t make the interceptions. The Jets also missed a PAT and failed to convert on a two-point conversion. Call that luck or call that whatever you want to but the Steelers had everything go right for them in that department. And then of course there’s this…
| Stats | Steelers | Jets |
| First Downs | 19 | 23 |
| Total Yards | 271 | 394 |
| Yards per Play | 5.0 | 6.4 |
| Rushing Yards | 53 | 182 |
| Time of Possession | 25:17 | 34:43 |
All that matters is what the final score says when the clock hits zeroes. But there have to be concerns inside that coaching staff right now.
Interesting Move
The Steelers put Malik Harrison and Skylar Thompson on Injured Reserve this week. With Will Howard already there that leaves the Steelers with just Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph. Although they’ve signed Logan Woodside to the Practice Squad, it remains to be seen what they do further with the roster. DeShon Elliott was not out on IR and to this point they haven’t made any moves to the LB corps either.
Latest Podcast!
Episode 438 of the SCB Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing Inc airs LIVE tonight at 10pmET!! You’ll get our honest and pragmatic take on the season-opening win plus we look ahead to the Seahawks! Stop by! Like and SUBSCRIBE!! We are so close to 500 subscribers!
Draft Stuff Already
Our crew is already hard at work evaluating potential talent for next year’s Draft. Cliff is taking a look at a few potential targets right here.
Random Reads
Today is of course the anniversary of the 9-11 Terrorist Attacks. Hard to believe it has been 24 years. Please join me in remembering the victims… The first responders… the men and women in uniform… who gave their lives that day and for many days to come afterwards… There’s an old saying in football that says teams often improve the most during a season between their first and second games. We shall see… Don’t sleep on Darnell Washington as a receiver. I still think he becomes a popular red zone and short yardage guy for Aaron Rodgers… Congrats to Chris Boswell who won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. No need to explain why…
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