Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Monday.
The Kickoff
The game of football can be very complex. From play calls to coverages football can be a lot to take in. On the flip-side however, there can be some really ‘easy to explain’ parts of the game. One of those is the simple aspect of keeping your defense fresh. This isn’t rocket science after all, but it’s also not a guarantee of success. While it might not be a guarantee it does go a long way towards bringing victory. According to the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, over the last four games, the Steelers’ opponent has been on the field for roughly 20 more plays than they have have (72.5 to 53.5). Couple that with also having one of the older defenses in the NFL and what you have is the recipe for a tough day at the office. Look no further than Thursday night’s loss in Cincinnati where the Steelers ran 54 plays to the Bengals’ 72. That also led to a roughly nine minute advantage in time of possession as well. Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Darius Slay are all over 30 plus while Jalen Ramsey will turn 31 this coming week. In other words, the Steelers have to get off the field more often. This particular pattern just can’t continue.
Around the North
With Baltimore on their BYE week, that left the Cleveland Browns as the only AFC North team in action this week. Their victory over the Miami Dolphins – which will likely bring an end to the McDaniel Era – gives them two wins. It also means the Ravens have sole possession of the cellar in the division. Laugh all you want to but the Ravens are in no way out of the race. They are getting healthier and will face a less difficult schedule than the Steelers. The two teams do have two games against each other however.
The Good News…
As bad as the trends were against the Steelers heading into last week (Mike Tomlin now 0-7 on the road against AFCN teams on TNF), they seem to be better heading into Week eight. Tomlin is 7-2 overall in games following Thursday Night Football. Next week’s opponent, the Green Bay Packers, took their first lead of the game with under two minutes to go to beat Arizona 27-23. A score that Cardinals’ fans should recognize…
Talking Tight Ends
And no, I don’t mean a player’s girlfriend… Pat Freiermuth picked up a lot more snaps than he had in previous weeks. He had 37, Darnell Washington had 36 while Jonnu Smith had 40. I would chalk this up to how the game unfolded. With the Bengals in front in the second half, that meant the Steelers were going to do a little less running and more passing so I’m going to suggest that’s why Freiermuth saw his playing time go up. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention that ‘Muth played as aggressively as I’ve ever seen him too. He was blocking his ass and was very emotional after his go-ahead touchdown catch and run. I’m curious to see how things unfold moving forward.
Random Reads
What a game in Denver. The Broncos scored 33 points in the fourth quarter to come back and beat the NY Giants at the buzzer on a field goal… I can’t recall a college football season with so many high-profile jobs open already. Penn State, Florida, Arkansas, UCLA and I have to assume Florida State and maybe Michigan State join that list… My @SteelDad account on ‘X’ was compromised. I can tell you firsthand that the tech support at ‘X’ is awful. Non-existent might be a better word… I had the Raiders as my surprise playoff team in the AFC this year. That was a poor choice… Granted, the Colts haven’t really played anyone other than the Rams but count me as impressed. Amazing what a running game will do for a QB… The SCB Steelers Podcast returns to Thursday at 10pmET this week. Thank God no more Thursday night games.
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