The Pittsburgh Steelers are eight games into the 2023 season. One could reasonably say that six of those games went down to the wire, or close to it; of those six, they managed to win five of them, including three ending in game-winning drives.
For those in the locker room, it’s all a product of their makeup. It’s what they preach to one another. That has a lot to do with why they have been able to find a lot of success this year when managing to keep the game close.
“Just the grit and the fight from the team”, OT Broderick Jones said of the Steelers’ ability to pull out wins in close games, via the team’s website. “T.J. [Watt] always tells us before we go out before the game, it’s a 60-minute game, so until the clock hits those zeroes, we’re still out there, we’re still playing, so that’s what we go out there and try to do”.
The Steelers needed just about 60 minutes on Thursday night in their win over the Tennessee Titans. ILB Kwon Alexander secured the game-clinching interception off rookie QB Will Levis with just six seconds to play in their 20-16 win. That was exactly four minutes after Steelers QB Kenny Pickett connected with WR Diontae Johnson for the go-ahead touchdown.
And that was just the latest example. In Week Seven, the Steelers got the go-ahead score about midway through the fourth quarter. The defense held to force the Los Angeles Rams to punt, but with over five minutes left to play, so the offense had to close out the game, converting on third and later on fourth down before the Steelers could finally take a knee to run the clock out.
Prior to the bye, Pickett found WR George Pickens for the game-winning score with just 1:25 to play against the Baltimore Ravens. It was a Watt sack on 4th and 7 with 20 seconds left on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson that finally sealed the deal. Likewise, coverage by rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. in Week Two against the Cleveland Browns on 4th and 9 with 1:05 to play proved the deciding rep.
The only game that got away from the Steelers in the fourth quarter was a week ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the visiting team going up by two possessions with a field goal with 4:38 to go to make it 20-10. Of course, that was also the game in which Pickett was knocked out by halftime, so perhaps it’s not a coincidence that’s their only loss in a close game.
Sixty-minute football. Or 70 if you take it into overtime. That is the key to winning when the only way you can win is by winning ugly. And I don’t think anybody can accuse the Steelers of winning pretty at any point this year. But if you’re going harder than your opponent in the final frame and the game is still contested, you’re giving yourself the upper hand that can prove to be the difference.
