Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Victory Monday.
The Kickoff
This is the first time all season that we’ve been able to enjoy “Victory Monday” in back to back weeks. It certainly didn’t look anything like a victory for most of the game. The defense was enough and the offense was just plain awful. The tide finally turned late in the third quarter. Aaron Rodgers found D.K. Metcalf and Germie Bernard over and over again with other guys sprinkled in. The overtime drive was a thing of beauty but left most of us wondering “where in the Hell has that been all day?” The 26-19 overtime win was one of the uglier ones in recent years. From pisspoor execution to even worse clock management, it was a game the Steelers probably shouldn’t have won, but they did. On with my thoughts.
Offense
-I’m a firm believer that you don’t change what you’re doing if what you’re doing is successful. For two straight games the offense largely ran through Jaylen Warren and Aaron Rodgers being under center. Mike McCarthy and company must have thought they wouldn’t be able to run against the Bucs so “to heck with what we’ve been doing” I guess.
-Jaylen Warren finished with 16 touches for 78 total yards but had only six touches at the break. If McCarthy was trying to “fool” Tampa Bay it didn’t work.
-Germie Bernard and D.K. Metcalf each had 11 receptions. No other Steeler had more than four (Darnell Washington). Bernard’s early game gaffe on what should have been a first down became a learning experience for the rookie.
-Max Iheanachor came back to Earth a bit with his shaky performance but he’s still a better option than Dylan Cook. By far.
-If you’re going to throw a goal line fade then put it up in the air. Metcalf had a six inch advantage on the DB. Secondly, why not use Darnell Washington there who is even taller?
-The Steelers averaged more yards rushing (4.0) than they did yards per play (3.9) on Sunday. That’s not good. Rodgers only averaged 3.9 yards per pass too. 13 bubble or wide receiver screens didn’t help that number.
Defense
-Jalen Ramsey was tremendous. Ten tackles, four for loss and two sacks. His play often sparked the defense on Sunday.
-Nick Herbig lives!! He got the sack that has eluded him all season and then added another for good measure.
-Keannu Benton played really well for a guy that was a gametime decision. He had three tackles and two for loss.
-Congrats to rookie Daylen Everette for his first career interception. I see more in his future.
-Jamel Dean clearly wanted to play well in his return to Tampa and he did. He had four tackles and a huge interception but also tallied six passes defended.
-I don’t want to make excuses for T.J. Watt who has clearly slowed after a hot start but how is arm-barring a pass rusher not holding? The league needs to have a serious look at this. It’s ridiculous.
-Do I think Cam Heyward has slowed down? To an extent yes. But there are times when he is downright impossible to block against the run and that was on display several times yesterday. He’s not getting to the passer as he once did but he’s still a force.
Special Teams
-The porous kick coverage haunted the Steelers late in the game. After taking the lead on the field goal, the Bucs, needing a field goal to tie, got a huge return. They have to clean this up.
-We may have to have a discussion about Cam Johnston. Not his punting, but his holding for place kicks. Chris Boswell’s miss yesterday had the hallmarks of a ball that didn’t have the laces turned to the front. This may not seem like a big deal but it is, trust me.
-Kaden Wetjen finally ripped off a big return yesterday only for a penalty to bring it back. Wetjen finally did what I’ve been screaming for him to do; hit the wall at full speed! He goes east and west way too much.
Coaching
-Wasn’t Mike McCarthy made the head coach in part due to his experience? His horrible game management yesterday nearly cost the team a victory.
-His offensive game plan was not good either. He basically surrendered to the Buccaneers’ run defense early on choosing instead to spread things out and try the quick hitters.
On to Paris
The Steelers – as of now – are still scheduled to play the Saints in Paris Sunday morning despite lots of unrest in the city and country. I’ll have more thoughts as the week moves on.
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