Following each game in the 2023 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. They 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.
Week 17 vs Seattle Seahawks
1. Happy Day- This season has been a rollercoaster with more dips than inclines. The last two weeks have been like a new season. I’m happy they are winning. Happy the games are enjoyable to watch. Happy for Najee Harris, who was one of the first players to voice his displeasures and is running well. I’m happy the receivers have a chance to make a difference in games. I’m happy for competent quarterback play. I’m happy there was no mention of past offensive coordinators today. I’m happy a patchwork defense is holding it together. We shall see what next week brings but for now let’s enjoy this.
2. New Beliefs– I’m not sure you all knew this, but it is okay for the Steelers to not only score 30 points but do it in consecutive weeks. The question was out there. Can a new quarterback make a difference? Two weeks ago, I would not have believed it, but the proof is in the pudding. There is newfound confidence in this offense. No more slumped shoulders from receivers. There is new energy to the defense. More aggressiveness overall and better tackling by the defensive backs. Probably because they don’t have to carry the team and be on the field all the time. I actually believe this team could be competitive in a playoff game. Two weeks ago, not a chance. I am a believer now.
3. Year Comes Down to This – A seemingly yearly occurrence. The Steelers’ season comes down to the final week of the season. Most games come down to the final drive, but they have spared us that angst-inducing scenario for a couple weeks. They need teams to lose, and they need to win at Baltimore next week. With Baltimore clinching the No. 1 seed, it will probably rest some starters. So, you’re saying there’s a chance? No one agrees with everything the organization or coaches do, but they do give the team a chance to make the playoffs yearly. Once there, anything can happen. I can tell you this: this two-week version of the Steelers we have seen would make some playoff teams nervous.
4. Angry Running – It began on the second drive. Fourteen plays, 80 yards to pay dirt. Seven of those plays were runs by Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren. They gained 57 yards on that drive and had 141 in the first half on 20 carries. The offensive line was consistent all game. Warren stiff armed Boye Mafe and Devon Witherspoon on separate plays. Harris later put Tariq Woolen on his back with a stiff arm of his own. Call it what you like. Old school. Smashmouth. Bully ball. Whatever you call it, it worked. This was the identity the Steelers wanted and could be successful. But did it come too late?
5. So That’s Where They Got the Title – Most position titles are easy to understand. The receiver receives the ball. The kicker kicks the ball. The center is in the middle of the line. The guards protect the quarterback. The tackles…well, they tackle the Steelers’ edge rushers. Some games, it’s more evident than others. T.J. Watt has been vocal about getting held and not getting the calls. The Seahawks were just straight up taking down the pass rushers to save their quarterback. The referees can’t call it every play because it slows the game to a ridiculous level. But if a defender is tackled into the quarterback you have to call that one.
6. Herbig Man on Campus – With Watt and Alex Highsmith in front of him Nick Herbig doesn’t get a lot of snaps on defense. What he does do is make the most of those snaps. As the season has progressed, he has gotten better and better. Undersized coming into the NFL, there was a question whether he could hold up on the edge against the run. Not only can he set the edge, but he gets off the blocks to make plays. His sack in this game, his third of the year, came at the most opportune time causing a fumble that he also recovered. The dude makes plays.
7. Practice Squad Changes – A few years ago there were a couple changes in the rules that pertained to the practice squad. The NFL expanded it to 16 players and allowed veterans to be on the squad. The Steelers may have been in even bigger trouble this year without those changes. In two games, Eric Rowe has 17 tackles, 12 solo. He had an interception last week and a tackle for a loss this week. He is a sure, physical tackler and has made the absence of Minkah Fitzpatrick bearable. Without those roster changes the Steelers would be running young players out there and the results would most likely be very different.
8. New Jack Hustler – Like Rowe, Myles Jack was another guy they added via the practice squad. His first run with the team did not end like we all hoped due to an injury that slowed him severely late in the season. He still had over 100 tackles last season. This season he is healthy and looks like a different player. He was shooting downhill and attacking gaps from the first drive. Fourteen tackles, 10 solo, a sack, tackle for a loss and two quarterback hits in two games. Bringing in a guy who knew the defense has made the transition seamless. Omar Khan needs to get his credit for these midseason additions.
9. Some Take Criticism Well – Players receive criticism. Some are warranted, some are not. Recently Pat Freiermuth received some not-so-kind comments about his blocking. And to be honest, those comments were not unfounded. He has put in more effort in recent weeks. He has been better and that is great to see. There is competition as well. Darnell Washington is a good blocker and Rodney Williams has done his part too. Since Week Five he has received offensive snaps and has done a solid job as a blocker. Freiermuth has one year left on his contract and has not consistently been the blocker or receiver the Steelers hoped he would be. He is putting in the effort and realizes there is room to get better.
10. No – That was the answer Kenny Pickett had after last week’s game to the question about seeing the game from a different perspective. Did he, “see anything different, learn anything…take lessons from it?” Here’s my perspective. If you think you’re the smartest person in the room (or on the field), you’re in the wrong place. There is always a chance to learn and get better. The best players are always taking advantage of scenarios to try to get better even if that entails standing on the sideline.
Even if he thinks he didn’t learn anything, he should have given a BS answer about taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture. Is Pickett angry he’s not playing? Probably. But smiling and giving a vague answer is part of being a professional. That was not a good look for him.
