Something new we’ll do daily for Steelers Depot. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers and Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete and dedicated article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys. The same as our recent Depot Daily but now late at night to better capture the news of the day.
Your Depot After Dark for Sept. 15th.
BRADSHAW SHOCKED BY STEELERS’ WEEK ONE PERFORMANCE
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw joined the Parkins & Spiegel Show on 670 The Score in Chicago on Thursday. While the majority of the conversation revolved around the Chicago Bears and QB Justin Fields, he did give a brief rundown of his thoughts on the Week One action around the league. That included the Steelers’ 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“I didn’t see Pittsburgh,” Bradshaw said. “Shocked by that, I was shocked by that.”
Perhaps it was best for the four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback that he didn’t watch the offensive struggles (and we mean offensive in both senses of the word here.)
WATT FOCUSED ON THE PROS
Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt is going up against Cleveland Browns rookie OT Dawand Jones on Monday Night Football, and despite Jones only having a few games of preseason tape and a few quarters of Week One tape, Watt explained why he won’t go back and watch Jones’ tape from his days at OSU.
“I don’t really watch much college tape ’cause when those college guys get under a new coach, you see with Broderick [Jones] here, he is not really the same player he was in college. Just ’cause there’s a whole year of progression, you’re getting coached by so many different people throughout the combine process and then obviously once you get to where you’re drafted to or selected to, that coach is gonna try to shape you how he wants,” Watt said via Steelers.com.
Jones seems to think he’s found a flaw in Watt’s game, but if the rookie discovers something to shut down the All-Pro pass rusher that much more experienced lineman haven’t been able to stop, I’d be pretty shocked. Either way, there’s enough out there from Jones’ preseason and Week One appearance for Cleveland for Watt to watch without needing to get back into the Big Ten.
Steelers D Ranked 13th
Pro Football Network released a ranking of the 32 NFL defenses following Week One. Despite allowing 30 points to the San Francisco 49ers, they still ranked in the top half of the league, coming in 13th place. Author Dalton Miller says this unit can hold firm even with Cam Heyward out until Thanksgiving.
“Even with the loss of Cam Heyward, this unit is talented enough to bounce back.”
Monday night’s opponent the Cleveland Browns came in three spots ahead at 10th overall. They’re coming off a dominant performance beating the Cincinnati Bengals 24-3 last Sunday.
The top-ranked defense are the Dallas Cowboys, dismantling the New York Giants 40-0 in the SNF game last weekend. The New York Jets finish second while the 49ers took the bronze medal. The worst-ranked defense went to the Chicago Bears, getting rolled by the Green Bay Packers 38-20 in the opener.
Browns Player Surprised By Failures
The Cleveland Browns haven’t won a regular season game in Pittsburgh since 2003, losing their last 19 such contests. It’s an incredible streak of futility that took even players by surprise. Speaking to reporters Friday, safety Grant Delpit didn’t realize the streak had gone on so long.
“We haven’t won in that stadium?” he said via a Browns-provided transcript. “I did not know that. It’s a new year. They’ve had a great team. Obviously they’ve had our number, I guess for a few years now. So go in there, take care of business. We don’t have to worry about that. They have a great team, great coaches, crazy fans so it’s going to be hyped atmosphere.”
In fairness, the Browns have had more success against the Steelers in recent years, including a 2020 Wild Card playoff win against them, though Delpit didn’t become a Brown until 2021. Still, the last regular season road win for Cleveland in Pittsburgh came in Week Five of the 2003 season, a 33-13 victory. That day, Tim Couch threw for two touchdowns, William Green ran for 115, and Steelers’ QB Tommy Maddox was picked twice. So yeah, it’s been awhile. Delpit will look to break the streak Monday night.
