This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers had their first home game of the year, and it was a good reminder of what that atmosphere does for the team. Renegade played loudly in the fourth quarter, firing up the Steelers and fueling them to victory. The stadium name may have changed, but Pittsburgh is still the same rowdy environment it’s always been. Former NFL offensive lineman Alex Boone recently praised the Steelers for their performances at home.
“When you go into Heinz Field, you better be ready for the longest fistfight of your fucking life,” Boone said on a recent episode of his podcast, The O-Line Committee. “I’m not kidding, I’ve played there. No matter what people say, that defense is always fired up. I don’t know what it is about them.
“They’re feisty, they love to get after you, and if you show any signs of, ‘We’ve can’t hang,’ they are like, ‘Push harder, push deeper, make more blood show.'”
Boone played in the NFL from 2009 to 2020, so while he was in the league, it was Heinz Field. Now Acrisure Stadium, it has the same spirit to it, usually elevating the Steelers to a different level.
Boone only played in Pittsburgh once, when he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers. It came in Week 2 of the 2015 season, and the 49ers got slaughtered, losing 43-18. As an offensive lineman, Boone got to experience the Pittsburgh pass rush firsthand. That was one of the weaker defenses the Steelers have had, but they still drummed the 49ers, recording five sacks and forcing two fumbles.
It makes sense that Boone would have such a vivid memory of playing in Pittsburgh. That one game left quite the impression. Leading into that game, people probably talked about how the defense wasn’t the same as when the Steelers were winning Super Bowls. However, Boone very quickly realized that didn’t make them any less dangerous.
Since Mike Tomlin was hired in 2007, the Steelers are 98-40-1 at home, an impressive record. They are only 10-8 at home since Ben Roethlisberger retired, but with the team looking like it’s taking a step in the right direction, that record should improve,
The Steelers might be even more physical this year than they were when Boone played them. Their defense is smothering opponents, and their offense is grinding away at them. Their identity is physicality now, and in their only home game this season, they showed that. The Steelers take pride in defending their home turf, and hopefully they can give other players the same kind of introduction they gave Boone.
