Good Thursday to you Steelers fans.
You already know the Pittsburgh Steelers face the most difficult remaining schedule of any of the teams in the NFL. Perhaps a bigger point of emphasis is whether or not that really matters. Take into account the Steelers have beaten the Buffalo Bills, one of the top teams in the AFC. The Bills however have also lost to Jacksonville. The Dallas Cowboys lost at home to Denver who promptly lost at home to Philadelphia. Tampa Bay went into Washington and lost while the LA Rams got hammered in San Francisco. The point of all of this is simple; this is what former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted all those years ago, parity. The idea of parity in the NFL doesn’t mean that there aren’t good teams and bad ones, it just means that the truly dominant teams aren’t quite as dominant as once thought. Just because the Bills lost to Jacksonville or just because the Bucs lost to the WFT, those things don’t guarantee these two won’t be in the Super Bowl. The best teams still eventually rise to the top. Whether the Steelers will be one of those teams remains to be seen but don’t be surprised if they knock off the Chargers this weekend in LA. A week after tying the Lions this would make perfect sense wouldn’t it?
Tweet of the Day… Great memory here from Neal.
Another great highlight from #Steelers #Chargers games gone by…Deebo shows agility and run-after-catch skill.
(Full clip https://t.co/jBw3jTcvRS) pic.twitter.com/SkqfHF4PhQ
— Neal Coolong (@NealCoolong) November 18, 2021
From the Training Room
STEELERS
CB Joe Haden (Foot) – DNP
OL Trai Turner (Ankle) – DNP
OL Kevin Dotson (Ankle) – DNP
LB T.J. Watt (Hip/Knee) – DNP
WR Chase Claypool (Toe) – Limited
DT Cam Heyward (Coach’s Decision) – Limited
CHARGERS
S Nasir Addely (Ankle) – Limited
WR Keenan Allen (Knee) – Full
TE Stephen Anderson (Ankle) – Full
CB Michael Davis (Hamstring) – Limited
S Alohi Gilman (Quadricep) – DNP
RB Justin Jackson (Quadricep) – Limited
DL Justin Jones (Knee) – Full
DL Linval Joseph (Shoulder) – DNP
DB Trey Marshal (Ankle) – DNP
OLB Chris Rumph II (Wrist) – Full
DB Mark Webb Jr. (Knee) – DNP
Injury Notes: Ben Roethlisberger is not listed as he remains on the Covid-19/IR List which is separate… Joey Bosa and Jerry Tillery are not listed on the LAC report for the same reason… Friday is always the day that determines game participation but Thursday could go a long ways toward that. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.
The Fullback
I’m not going to sit here and tell you about Derek Watt. You already know they spent a lot of money on him and have used him little on offense. The biggest question though is why? I think there is this sentiment today that using a fullback is like cheating or doing something wrong because no one else does it. I am not suggesting that Matt Canada return to the days of the two-back set or the straight I-formation every play. What I struggle to understand is why not use him more as an H-back? Especially in short yardage situations? He catches the ball well and he blocks well right? You can still throw the ball out of any formation he may be used in and chances are, he’s going to be a positive contributor to the offense. It’s almost like coaches have made an agreement that they will only use a fullback three or four times per game. I just don’t understand it and I’m not sure I ever will.
Pro Bowl
Voting for the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl is now underway. You can vote for all of your favorite Steelers by clicking this link right here. I’m of the opinion that Chris Boswell, Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt should 100% be on their way to this game.
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