Good Wednesday to you Steelers’ Fans.
I mentioned this at the end of yesterday’s ‘Quick Hitters’ and I feel it is still pertinent today. It feels like since Sunday’s game kicked off at one o’clock it has been one thing after another with the Black and Gold. Let me see if I have all of this right.
-Ben Roethlisberger is stymied with an elbow injury giving way to Mason Rudolph in the second half.
-The Steelers fall to Seattle 28-26. Big Ben will have an MRI on Monday.
-The MRI reveals a partial tear of his UCL requiring surgery. He is out for the season.
-The Steelers bring Devlin Hodges to the 53-man roster.
-Sean Davis has a torn labrum and is going to miss time.
-The Steelers trade a first round selection for Miami’s Minkah Fitzpatrick; Davis goes to Reserve/IR list.
-Pittsburgh tries out then signs former first round selection Paxton Lynch to the Practice Squad. It is expected he will eventually become the primary backup.
If you don’t mind I’m going to catch my breath. We aren’t used to this kind of activity surrounding our Steelers. Maybe you didn’t feel that way but I sure did.
Tweet of the Day… More people need to be highlighting these issues.
I don’t see how they can look themselves in the mirror anymore.
How do they accept this?
What is the tolerance for incompetence?
What standards exist?
Who continues to move the goal posts to allow excuses to be made & unacceptable performance condoned?https://t.co/X9yVi7m2wo
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 18, 2019
Donte Moncrief
I hold no ill intent towards Moncrief. He has tried to play through a fairly mangled finger and has made no excuses but how much longer can Randy Fichtner and Mike Tomlin keep counting on him? His poor performance in both games was not the reason the team lost but in the case of the Seattle game, there’s an argument to be made. Either way, Moncrief has to let the injury fully heal before he goes any further.
Nelson Under the Radar
I have to admit that Steve Nelson has played pretty well in his first two games as a Steeler. I say it that way not because I thought he was incapable but because with so much going on it’s been hard to focus. While he hasn’t been perfect, I think he’s done a really good job in coverage and in run support. While Stephon Tuitt and T.J. Watt have received the bulk of the attention Nelson has done a solid job.
The Running Game
James Conner told local radio yesterday that he is planning to play on Sunday despite the banged up knee. He, along with Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell, Jr. need to get some form of effective running game going. This starts with the offensive line which will face a stiff test in the 49ers defense but if Mason Rudolph is going to be successful he needs a running game in order to set up play-action. Running the ball well also keeps our troubled defense off of the field as well.
Have a great day Steeler Nation!
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