SCB Steelers Quick Hitters: The “Week 8 Observations” Edition

Good Victory Monday to you Steelers fans.

The Black and Gold moved to 4-3 on the season with an incredible 15-10 win over the Browns in Cleveland. Here are my observations from the game.

Offense

• Ben Roethlisberger played his best game in my opinion. He didn’t turn the ball over and made more consistently accurate throws than we’ve seen previously
• Najee Harris does things most running backs in the NFL just can’t do. He can dive, bulldoze, outrun and lower the boom with the best of them.
• The Steelers have to find a third wideout. James Washington had one catch and a crucial holding call. Ray Ray McCloud is not the answer either.
• Believe it or not Zach Gentry is rounding himself into a very nice third tight end and maybe even a second.
• I remain stunned that the Steelers didn’t give Dan Moore ‘more’ help against Myles Garrett. While he did give up a sack and a couple of QB hits Moore actually fared better than you might have imagined.
• The Steelers need a backup running back. There is currently no one I would trust for any length of time on this roster.
• I thought Matt Canada called a really nice game overall and sprinkled in a plethora of new plays and formations. If I had two bones to pick the first would be the two point play which was a fade to Diontae Johnson. Why in the hell wouldn’t you use Chase Claypool if youre going to do that. Secondly, I didn’t care for the series on first and goal that ultimately resulted in the Pat Freiermuth TD. I would have preferred a Najee Harris run on first down.
• One thing we didn’t see yesterday? Deep shots on third and short. Once in awhile those are fine but Big Ben was doing it too often.
• Kevin Dotson is literally the human form of an earth mover. He literally plowed some defenders under the soil yesterday.

Tweet of the Day… Do better officials.

This is holding on the #Steelers: pic.twitter.com/U8WR4JOby5

— Jason Silbers (@Silber_Bullet) October 31, 2021

Defense

• Another Sunday another big day from T.J. Watt. Six tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 QB hits and a fumble recovery.
• Tremendous job by the run D. This unit was gashed by Seattle and they took it personally. Cleveland never got it going on the ground.
• Devin Bush is struggling. It’s that simple.
• Cam Heyward isn’t going to win the defensive player of the year award but if he doesn’t make all-pro there should be an investigation.
• Very steadily Isaiahh Loudermilk is rounding into a very solid depth player along the defensive line. He’s not Heyward or Stephon Tuitt but he’s holding his own.
• I thought Cleveland had a great gameplan to open the game. Keith Butler didn’t seem to have any answers as Baker Mayfield found hole after hole in the Steelers’ zone. As the pressure ramped up though, the defense settled in and played much better.
• Joe Haden may be getting old for a CB but he still makes plays in both the passing and running game.
• Minkah Fitzpatrick had moments of the extreme yesterday. He was left reaching for air on the Browns’ TD run and then made a nice play to knock the ball away from Jarvis Landry to seal the game. It’s been that kind of season for him.

Special Teams

• The fake field goal was the wrong call and here’s why. First, the Steelers had some momentum in a defensive struggle where every point is crucial. Second, the Browns were already showing they weren’t bringing everyone. It should have been called off. Third, while I know it’s not expected, you just can’t risk the health of your kicker there. It could have cost the Steelers dearly.
• Pressley Harvin has to be able to get off big kicks when the team needs one. A 37-yarder late in the game just won’t cut it.
• Ray Ray McCloud at least once a week makes a poor decision that costs the Steelers a lot of yards in field position. His fumble was nearly fatal as well.

Officiating

• I honestly don’t know why we even bother to complain anymore. We’ve already seen poor officiating cost a team a trip to the Super Bowl so I doubt it will get any better.
• The subjectivity is maddening. A flag for roughing Ben Roethlisberger is picked up. A flag, on a much softer hit on Baker Mayfield is not.
• The hit on Chris Boswell was a flag. No question. The defender’s helmet made contact with Boswell’s chin. It was classic targeting.
• Minkah Fitzpatrick should have been flagged for a late hit out of bounds on Mayfield as well.
• Two defensive holding calls, one on each team, at the line of scrimmage. Both were extremely questionable.