Following each game in the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers season I will once again be giving my 10 takes. These aren’t going to be hot takes that are meant to shock the world. This will be instant reactions to the game written while still in that period just following the game when the emotions are high, and the ideas are fresh. Included will be thoughts, observations, queries, and reasons that caused me to yell at the television.
Regular Season Week 12 vs Cincinnati Bengals
1. A New Hope – Not since the pairing of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo has an organization been given such hope for the future. The tandem of Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan provided, not only the fans, but more importantly the players, a glimpse of what the offense can really do. Gaining over 400 yards of offense for the first time in 58 games is nice. However, yards are for show and points are for dough. Sixteen points was enough for today and hopefully there are more on the way. There is a glimmer of light shining on what was a dark outlook.
2. MOF – Imagine how much easier it is to operate an offense if you use the entire field? From the first pass play down the seam to Pat Freiermuth, the new directive was evident. The middle of the field provided several big plays to the tight ends as well as helped to move the chains. The question is still there as to why it wasn’t used until today but let’s move past that. A healthy Pat Freiermuth is a reminder of his importance to this offense. MOF could now stand for Muth Owned Field.
3. DJ’s Lament – This one had me pretty heated. Diontae Johnson had a touchdown. He didn’t control the ball all the way to the ground. In my opinion, after he made the catch, he relaxed a bit rather than secure the ball. Should it have been reviewed? Yes. Regardless, on the next play he barely moves off the line of scrimmage and with a fumbled ball on the ground three feet from him, he turns away. He let the previous play affect his effort. Unacceptable. Get your head out of …the clouds, man!
4. Help Filling the Sack – The Steelers’ defensive backfield has had its coverage issues this year. We’ve talked about it plenty. I want to give that group a little credit today. Yes, the defensive backs had five pass breakups and an interception, but they helped the pass rush as well. The first three sacks the team had today were the result of good coverage. T.J. Watt’s first sack, Nick Herbig sack racing in from coverage and Cameron Heyward’s sack were all the result of the pass coverage and the quarterback not getting the ball out. Not every sack is created the same way. Sometimes it takes a village.
5. Now’s Not the Time – Here’s the scenario. Late second quarter inside of two minutes and the Steelers have gains of 4, 11 and 16 on consecutive plays and the ball is at midfield. Offense seems to be clicking. With 1:06 on the clock, they call a timeout. Why!? Cincinnati is on its heels and the offense is humming. Why break the momentum? Out of the timeout there was a three-yard scramble, holding penalty, incomplete pass, and a draw play on 3rd and 17. A promising drive ends in a punt due to poor timing. Not sure about that one.
6. Harried Harris Uses Hammer Not Hurdles – We all saw the interview with Najee Harris last week. You could see the angst, the weight on his shoulders. That guy was not on the field today. He seemed rejuvenated. He seemed to be running with more determination. There was an added quickness to his game. He finished just shy of 100, a number he hadn’t come close to this year. My favorite part was on a run down the left sideline when he lowered his shoulder, rather than try to hurdle a defender. This team is going to rely on the run game and a reinvigorated Harris to complement and push Jaylen Warren is very beneficial.
7. The Steelers Do Have a Fullback – There isn’t a player with the FB designation on the active roster but there is a player taking on the role. It’s Allen Robinson II. I don’t think that was the role he had envisioned with the team, but he seems to have embraced it. He had been used a lot in motion prior to this game, and on those plays the Steelers ran the ball 67 percent of the time. A lot of it is motioning to the wing to block with the linemen. However, they also use motion to put him in a position to lead through the hole. Nice to see the veteran filling a role and making himself useful to the offense.
8. Just for Kicks – Different but the same, right? The Steelers’ two final scoring drives in the fourth quarter both resulted in field goals. The first drive, a 10-play, 62-yard drive, started with six passes on the first seven plays. Once in field goal range, it was run, run, and short incomplete pass. The next drive had big two big runs by Harris and an 11-yard pass to Robinson. Once in Chris Boswell’s range, run middle twice and a short pass in the middle. The trust in Boswell is high and I agree with that trust. But don’t you want to at least look like you’re trying to score touchdowns?
9. TOP and The Importance of Three – Controlling the ball is important and often an indicator of success. The Steelers had the ball for approximately 19 minutes in the first half and 18 in the second half giving them a huge advantage in time of possession. Three points in the first half versus 13 in the second half. One key factor was third-down conversions. Just three of nine in the first half improved to five of eight in the second half. It’s no coincidence that six of the eight conversions came on scoring drives. More sustained drives lead to more points.
10. Change is Inevitable – Here are my final thoughts on the Matt Canada era. While the offense wasn’t good, I don’t wish for anyone to lose their job. In this case, it was for the betterment of the team. This organization is known for how capable it is of keeping less-than-positive circumstances within the circle of trust. Well, that circle was cracking. The sideline arguments, the interviews with the media, and the infighting in the locker room were all evidence of such. I don’t believe the Steelers wanted to fire Canada as much as they had to move on from him. I wish him well, but we are moving forward. Hopefully, two heads are better than one.
