The jig is up. The news is out.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are doing the Billionaire Strut as they boast an opening salvo of wins, bringing their tally up to 3-0. This is largely due to the fact that their defense is statistically at the top of the charts in the National Football League.
Oh…and did we mention their run game is coming in like a beautiful wrecking ball once again?
Could an Iron City be chilled more perfectly when it comes to this frosty mug of a seasonal start?
Well…yes. Yes, it could. 4-0 would be even more lovely. After all, Steelers Nation is not a people group well known for its contentment.
To get their fourth win, the Steelers will need to go to Indianapolis and take down a Colts team that will be desperate to stay NFL relevant after a sad pony ride of a 1-2 start.
The Steelers run defense will be tested by the elite skillset of one of the league’s finest runners in Jonathan Taylor, and their secondary will be under constant threat of being beaten by a game-altering deep throw by the rocket-armed sophomore Anthony Richardson.
This is no easy out.
Will the Steelers be able to lasso in another encouraging victory, or is the game where they get bucked off their high horses?
For a deeper look, let’s give it a Spin.
Green Felt
With each impressively completed Justin Fields pass, fewer voices pontificate that Russell Wilson is guaranteed to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback as soon as he and his calf say they’re ready to take over the wheel.
With blushing faces, more pundits are admitting that Justin Fields might just be the ticket after all now that he escaped Chi-town.
Still, there are a few of you holding out for grasses that are much greener. You find yourself underwhelmed by Justin Fields’ passing potential, and you’re still holding out hope in a wet paper bag that Wilson will still get the opportunity to reclaim his starting role and “show us what he’s got.”
You’re clinging to that dreamy concept of the Wilson of ten years ago suddenly appearing in a black and gold cape.
But at this point in the process, it would be like being dealt a “19” and saying, “Hit me!” for the slim chance of landing the only number in the deck to get you “21”.
That kind of thinking has gamblers lining up at casino ATMs at 2 a.m.
Look. Russell Wilson’s past greatness can’t be denied. But read the small print. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results especially when that performance is fairly far in the past.
Look, we’re winning! This is a winning hand.
Las Vegas loves the gambler who can always be counted on to give back the money.
But let’s not get greedy. Let’s be smart here; this year, we might just beat the house.
Best Job In The Business
This isn’t all bad news for Wilson. He may have landed in Pittsburgh just in time to claim the ideal future for himself in these sunsetting days of his career.
The odds might be against Wilson to be an elite starting quarterback once again, but he’s a sure thing when it comes to being the perfect bullpen quarterback for the Steelers for this year and years to come.
This is one of the sweetest gigs in the business. You pull your draft from the finest organizational keg in the NFL, and you accomplish this without having the full-time job of being sat on by 350-pound nose tackles and getting pummeled by freakily engineered NFL linebackers.
It’s not retirement. It’s the timeshare of your dreams.
You let the kid take all of the hits, and when he takes one too many, you trot onto the field amidst the glowing cheers of tens of thousands, take over the huddle, and pocket a little glory under the lights.
Ask Byron Leftwich. Ask Charlie Batch. Heck…Charlie is still cashing in Steelers-related paychecks, and all he has to do now is talk.
The critical question becomes: What does Russell really want at this stage in his career?
If he believes he’s destined to enjoy several more years as a top-flight starting quarterback in the league, at least three other teams in the NFL are ready to try to make this wish upon a star a reality.
The Miami Dolphins would start him tomorrow, even if he had to hop on the field on one leg like Captain Ahab chasing the big whale, which most probably would end with a similar result.
However, if he only has his heart set on reaching that starting goal in Pittsburgh, then his only path now is hoping that Justin Fields fails. In this mindset, he would become more of a liability than an asset. Fields needs the confidence and support of his teammates and coaches, not the hot breath of a wolf on the back of his neck.
If this is the case, the Steelers would be much better off getting some trade value out of Wilson’s career pursuits.
But, if he would seriously embrace taking on the supporting role, he would be one of the best sideline weapons in the league.
In this case, it would be foolish to trade him at almost any price.
Clutch Performers
There are still a few headline-grabbing experts bloviating about how the “Steelers can’t expect to go far with a quarterback like Justin Fields.”
I can give you a perfect example of how far a team can go with a quarterback like Fields. His name was Ben Roethlisberger.
Now…before you spit out your dentures and start going all Troll on me in the comments section, hear me out.
Young Ben was…well, young. In his first three years in the NFL, he threw 52 touchdowns and 43 interceptions. Fields’ numbers over that same first three years of his career are 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. They are mathematically superior.
Now, Big Ben threw for more yards during that time, but he didn’t have anywhere near as many rushing yards as Fields, who has only begun to scratch the surface of that talent as a Steeler.
And, if you remember, Roethlisberger didn’t exactly light it up in the first Super Bowl in which he participated. He was 9 for 21 in throwing with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Steelers won that Super Bowl despite Big Ben, not because of him. How did the Steelers win the Super Bowl in 2006? With an elite defense and a solid playing, blossoming rookie quarterback. Sound familiar?
Now. Don’t get me wrong. Young Ben matured into Hall of Fame Ben in a short time.
But consider this as well. Hall of Fame Ben never won a Super Bowl. Just Young Ben…and an elite defense.
Justin Fields may not finish the season as well as he started. He may revert to making poor decisions like he did with the Chicago Bears.
Yet, the 3-0 version of the Steelers Justin Fields? And this elite defense? Yes. They can go as far as Young Ben did.
Collapsing Under Pressure
Remember those days of Steelers defenses of the past where it was so enjoyable to look at the NFL’s team statistics each week? So often, the Steelers’ defenses were ranked number one in nearly every team category.
Well…those days aren’t quite back yet, but they may not be that far away. They currently hold the pole position for the fewest allowed total yards and rank high both against the pass and the run.
How are they doing this? Primarily with push up the middle.
Cameron Heyward. DeMarvin Leal. Larry Ogunjobi. Keeanu Benton. Montravius Adams. Isaiahh Loudermilk.
These guys are getting the job done.
They are collapsing the pocket and closing the run lanes. They are making opposing offensive coordinators pay the price for doubling the team’s edge rushers.
Unfortunately, their work isn’t the type that draws attention. Demanding a double team inside the trenches is as important of a role as there is on a team defense because it breaks an offense at the seam.
There is an inherent weakness in a 3-4 defense. It’s that if you can’t keep your middle linebackers clean, it simply won’t work. Not in this modern era when these linebackers need to be more greyhound than Rottweiler in order to keep up with coverage assignments.
Thanks to the Steelers’ defensive line, the team’s linebackers are clean…and free to hunt.
Minkah Mouse
There has been a question growing in heightened whispers among the sports media and Steelers fans. It is: “What’s happened to Minkah Fitzpatrick?”
After all, Minkah is not old, but at 27, it’s beginning to be that time in a safety or cornerback’s career when players start losing a step or two. Has Minkah lost his once highly praised capability of making game-changing plays?
If you’re going to judge Fitzpatrick solely by interceptions, there is a compelling case that he’s all but completely vanished off of the team’s defensive playmaking radar.
After bagging a total of 17 interceptions in his first four seasons since the Steelers acquired him in a blockbuster trade, he didn’t get a single pick in all of 2023. The interception drought continues through the first three games of this season.
Do I care? I do not.
What we need most of all in this defense is not to see Minkah Fitzpatrick at all. He could be quiet as a mouse…and that’s just fine.
Before he joined Pittsburgh, we had too many years of poor safety play. The result was game after game where our secondary was continuously getting postered as they helplessly chased the exhaust pipes of NFL receivers racing for touchdowns.
Fitzpatrick’s quintessential role on this defense is to be the captain of the secondary and the guardian of the gates. There are so many critical moments in games when he’s the last man standing to break up big plays.
Sometimes, it is a deep pass to a receiver who has managed to outwit or outrun a cornerback. Other times, it’s a shoestring tackle that keeps a running back from turning an 8-yard run into a 60-yard one.
Yes. We love splash plays. And, with Minkah’s athletic ability, we enjoy any time he gets the ball in his hands.
But, for our defense to continue its impressive ascent, I’m happy keeping Minkah out of the headlines and the flashing camera lights.
When all is quiet in the secondary…all is good with Minkah.
3’s Into 7’s
The problem with undefeated teams is that you don’t really know too much about their character. Character is best revealed with losses.
This is why this current hot start by Coach Mike Tomlin’s squad should be applauded and celebrated, but it should also be approached with a measure of caution.
What if Fields has a bad day? What if the defense falters?
There will be setbacks, and there might even be one against the Colts on Sunday.
However, there is more evidence there will be growing optimism, rather than diminished hopes.
This is because the Steelers have been achieving victory while relying on a steady, unhealthy diet of field goals.
The breakthrough for this team is when the 3’s start turning more consistently into 7’s.
When that starts happening? The Pittsburgh Steelers will be officially back among the league’s elite. We’ll return to those Fields of Glory.
‘Bout time.
