Nobody is perfect, certainly not the Pittsburgh Steelers, who suffered a disappointing setback against the Indianapolis Colts, losing 24-27.
Two things made it weigh heavy on Steelers Nation’s hearts. One was the collapse of Pittsburgh’s prematurely crowned defense. Secondly, it was because Justin Fields came within a center’s snap of carrying the team on his back to an impressive comeback victory.
Still, by all measures, the team has started the season in a surprisingly pleasant fashion, earning a 3-1 record despite three of their first games being staged in enemy territory.
Fortunately, it’s home sweet home again as Pittsburgh takes on one of their greatest glory days rivals in the Dallas Cowboys.
Of course, Bruce Springsteen wasn’t one to think much of glory days, and perhaps many younger Steelers fans sing a similar tune:
And I hope when I get old, I don’t sit around thinking about it
But I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back, trying to recapture
A little of the glory, yeah
Well, time slips away and leaves you with nothing, mister, but
Boring stories of…glory days.
Can we even call a game against this so-called “America’s Team” a rivalry in the post-millennial age?
Probably not. But, many of us will choose to tell “the Boss” to stick to songs about beach romances along the New Jersey Turnpike as we cheerfully relive the fifty years past days of Roger Staubach, Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, and Tony Dorsett, and acknowledge that we still get triggered when those star helmets enter the stadium.
So…Cowboy Up…let’s give this a Spin.
Najee Strong
To the victors go the spoils was how Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris handled Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin’s post-game bullying comments, who called the Steelers’ lead running back “soft.”
Harris’ response was a classy, “Congratulations, you won”, essentially giving him a hall pass to trash talk.
The truth is that Harris was unimpressive running the ball last Sunday, grinding out only 19 yards on 13 carries. However, he did manage to do better through the air, catching three receptions for 54 yards, including a game-shifting 32-yard catch and run.
Still, Harris ran into a brick wall repeatedly when it came to the ground game. Unfortunately for Harris, his own teammate made him look even worse. That was when Cordarelle Patterson essentially said, “Gimme that rock, I’ll show you how it’s done,” before gaining 43 yards on six powerful and curvaceous runs before exiting the game with an ankle injury.
But still. Franklin’s comments are just…dumb.
If Franklin had said what many Steelers fans believe, that Harris lacks the vision to find the right holes or enough wiggle and burst to evade NFL-grade linebackers, he probably would have gotten some fist bumps or at least a few subtle head nods.
Yet, calling Harris “soft” is idiotic. Harris runs with a total sacrifice of his body. There are no “business decisions” in Najee’s game. He may be playing in his last season as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But, if that ends up being the case, all Steelers fans should appreciate the effort he put into every play in each game in which he wore the uniform.
Another Fields Day
Speaking of not perfect, Justin Fields was far from flawless in his performance against the Colts. The former Chicago Bears quarterback had a Déjà vu experience of the “Oh now, here we go again” variety.
It was one of those plays in his first cat life as an NFL quarterback that ultimately got him blown out of the Windy City like leaves in autumn. This was when he tried to evade pass rushers, and a Keystone Cops movie broke out, ending up in a major loss of yards and a costly fumble.
Then, of course, there was one of the Steelers’ favorite play calls that also blighted his day’s performance. That’s the Arthur Smith “No Look Snap” play where apparently the goal is to see if center Zach Frazier can try to wedge the point of the football into Field’s face mask while he’s not looking.
I don’t know if that play is failing because of design or execution, but it should probably be removed from the playbook.
But, except for that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the rest of the play?
The truth is that Fields was outstanding, and he is ascending. His resiliency in bringing the team back from the brink of an early 17-0 deficit to legitimately having a strong chance of keeping the Steelers undefeated this season was encouraging.
Look. Fields won’t mesmerize with his clinical dismantling of a pass defense. If he’s got game there, he’s not revealed it convincingly yet in his still young career.
But what is truly next level is his ability to drift away from pressure with grace and ease. When he feels the heat, he’s like a Ferrari in the way he can shift gears and accelerate away from the lumbering pick-up trucks in pursuit.
He makes the rest of the defenders look like they are moving in slow motion in the Matrix. Fields makes poor pass protection a joy to observe.
And when he does decide to run, he covers yards as if he has a turbo blast button. So smooth and effortless.
The Steelers haven’t enjoyed this quality of mobility in the pocket since in-his-prime Ben Roethlisberger. But even with Ben, there was nothing elegant about the way he bought time in his pocket. It looked more like a bar fight, with stools and pool cues flying in the background.
We’ve suffered through several years of petrified forest quarterbacks in the pocket the last few years. Mason Rudolph could throw a good ball as long as you gave him seven seconds or so to retreat from the center and set up his equipment. But any hint of pressure and Mason wasn’t going left or right. He would just kind of melt into a pile of goo.
Yes, Mitch Trubisky, on paper, appeared more athletic. However, when the pocket would be breached while he was quarterback, he would spin reflexively into even more trouble. It was the same ineffective rinse-and-repeat move repeatedly, as if the PlayStation button was stuck because your little brother spilled his Capri Sun on the game controller.
No. Justin Fields is a silky-smooth athlete with limitless potential. Whether he’ll be able to develop into a consistent top-tier quarterback is yet to be realized. Let’s be real, Evil Knievel. There is still a Grand Canyon to cross.
But in the least, quarterbacking in Pittsburgh is once again fun to watch.
Watts Going On?
As enjoyable as it was to see Fields take another leap forward, the disturbing main headline of the Colts game was the collapse of the Steelers’ defense.
How could they look so bad after looking so…well, elite?
One of those I chose chiefly to blame was T.J. Watt. Why wasn’t he getting into the backfield? Where were his big-time plays and his karate kick post-sack celebrations?
That was until I took a second look. That was when I discovered in detail just how the Colts managed to slow down the Steelers’ best player.
Literally, by gang-tackling him on every play.
Seriously, what is a holding penalty these days? There are holding calls issued regularly where you literally have to watch the replay four times in slow motion even to see a hint of a tug of a jersey.
But, those non-called grab baggies against T.J. Watt? Over and over and over again?
Afterward, T.J. shrugged it off gamely, saying it’s no big deal; it happens every game.
T.J. is just a hoagie shy of 100 all-time sacks. Can you imagine how many he would have throughout his career if the referees actually did their jobs?
Obviously, the whispered secret decrees by the NFL’s Quarterback Preservation Society are being dutifully followed by the striped minions.
That Rearview Mirror
There was a lot of wishful thinking in the Burgh when the Baltimore Ravens started the season 0-2 and faced what was considered a daunting game away in Dallas. If they would only lose, we all pondered as we knitted our hands together like a mad cartoon scientist, then we might be done with them already.
Nice try, Steelers Nation.
Instead, the Ravens took care of business against Jerry’s boys, and then last week…oh my…they decided to unleash Frankenstein.
Derrick Henry performed like all our worst dreams when we first heard he was joining Baltimore via free agency in the offseason. We hoped he would be a washed-out old-timer with knees too knobby to regain his former King Henry status.
But, looking at those replays of the big man running away from sprinter-speed cornerbacks and safeties on his way to an 87-yard touchdown last week, I only had one thought in my head:
“We’re going to need a bigger boat.”
There is no one on the Steelers roster who wants to try to tackle Henry once he’s gained his momentum. Nobody. Where is Levon Kirkland when you need him?
And, that freaky force of nature of Henry was added to an already strong Baltimore team.
I love my Pittsburgh Steelers, but the truth is they are going to have to hit a whole other gear if they are going to win the AFC North division when the feathers of this year’s season-long pillow fight settle. They will need a major talent infusion, like the addition of…I don’t know…an All-Pro wide receiver from Las Vegas.
Barring some significant improvement or some player currently on the roster rising to surprising new heights, I’ve got to be honest in my prognostications.
If I had to bet my house, it’s the Ravens’ division to lose, even one game back.
Now, if I get to bet your house, then I’m all in on Pittsburgh winning the division. Go Steelers.
A Cowboy Walked Into A Bar
Those of us who remember those great games of the ’70s will never look at a Dallas Cowboys uniform any other way.
They are the villains dressed in white.
It doesn’t matter who coaches the Dallas Cowboys; I still see Tom Landry walking the sidelines in his fedora hat.
I can still hear Hollywood Henderson saying that Terry Bradshaw “couldn’t spell cat if you spotted him a ‘c’ and an ‘a’.”
And I can still see Jack Lambert throwing Cliff Harris to the ground in a Dirty Harry defense of Roy Gerela.
It doesn’t matter what year it is. Steelers vs. Cowboys games are special.
So…a cowboy walked into a bar. Let’s hope the locals serve up a proper reception.
