What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and hopefully, for the Pittsburgh Steelers, that’s where they can leave their two-game losing streak behind.
A win against the Las Vegas Raiders could once again have Steelers Nation shouting, “Vegas Baby!”
However, another disappointing loss in a row might result in Pittsburgh’s early optimism hurtling to the ground in flames, destined to be wreckage tucked away in some secret storage unit in Area 51.
The truth is out there.
From meteoric to mediocrity as if just a flash in the sky.
Yes, the dreaded Tomlin Line is approaching, and it will be no small feat to get the season moving again in an upward trajectory.
The Raiders will also be desperately eager to get their season back on track and still have plenty of arsenal to make that happen.
What can be expected in this once-famous rivalry this weekend? Let’s give this a Spin.
Away Field Advantage
It’s reported that Steelers fans have purchased almost half of all the tickets available for this game being hosted in…yes…Las Vegas is clear on the other side of the country if you haven’t looked at a map lately.
Let’s not be shocked here. First, Steelers fans arrive like unwanted armies of ants at picnics hosted in practically every stadium.
Secondly, these are not the Oakland Raiders…they are the Las Vegas Raiders. The Davis family sold off their fans many times over the past few decades, and this last transplant was the final act of treachery for a large portion of Raiders Nation. Most of them had just moved their allegiance across San Francisco Bay.
Now that the Raiders are in Las Vegas? Let’s just say there are more people with Elvis costumes in their closets than Raiders jerseys in Sin City.
The truth is, because Las Vegas is a great tourist destination, many of the away teams fare well in overtaking Allegiant Stadium.
For those interested in enjoying an NFL game in Las Vegas, I can share that it’s a great experience. The stadium is within walking distance (or at least a short ride) to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
But who cares about other fans? Nobody takes over enemy stadiums like Steelers Nation, causing deep shame and discouragement to the players of home teams around the country. Imagine thinking you’re playing in front of your own loyal fans only to look up to see thousands of helicoptering yellow towels.
That is why I will once again use this opportunity to make a public service announcement to all television announcers. (As it’s well known, most use the Spin as prime source material for calling Steelers games.)
Please…I beg you…don’t say, “Steelers fans travel well.” That is four-inch fingernails across a chalkboard. You make it sound as if there are 20 buses that drive out of Pittsburgh for each game.
We don’t travel well. We’re EVERYWHERE. Those Terrible Towel-waving fans are actually…the locals. Get it right.
Why Not?
First of all, a note from the author. For those complaining, “Is he talking about THIS again?” I must protest my innocence. Don’t shoot me, I’m only the piano player.
When the Steelers brought on two potential starting quarterbacks in the offseason, both desperately hoping to restart their careers, they opened the gates to a season-long quarterback controversy.
The sad nature of quarterback controversies is they must be discussed ad nauseam each and every week until they are put to rest. So stuff the Steelers Public Relations complaint box, not the Spin’s.
Now…back to your regularly scheduled programming.
There is no sane, intelligent football mind that could reasonably argue that Justin Fields has played himself out of a starting role as the Steelers quarterback.
Not spectacular, but more than steady and continuing to grow.
The fact is his coaches and teammates love him; he’s intelligent, hardworking, and as talented as there is in the league, and he continues to grow in his profession.
He’s playing arguably the best football of his young career, and if he continues to improve, he has at least a reasonable shot of being the Steelers quarterback of the future.
What else do you want?
Okay…I get it. More touchdowns. That’s fair. More wins. Okay.
But are you certain he’s why the team isn’t lighting up the scoreboard? Could it be they have only one big-time wide receiver, and he’s only big-time part of the time when he wants to?
Is it possible that the offensive line is struggling with youth, key injuries, and more position-swapping than it has experienced in years?
Is it perhaps that a new offensive coordinator is still trying to deprogram the team from far too many years of amateurish coaching?
But…but…Russell Wilson.
Russell Wilson what? Could he come in for Fields and play significantly better and turn this offense around?
Possibly.
He hadn’t demonstrated he could win in Denver with a team similarly constructed of a potent defense and an average offense. He was ushered out of Denver with a brown box of his framed photos and desk plants despite the fact that the franchise invested a bucket of first and second-round draft picks on him as well, inking him to a quarter of a billion-dollar contract.
Still…Wilson COULD come in and provide an improvement at the quarterback position. Why not give it a try?
For that matter, the Steelers’ defense played below the bar the last couple of weeks. Why not sub in replacements for Cameron Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and T.J. Watt?
I mean…isn’t it possible that their replacements could play better? Isn’t it worth at least finding out?
No.
And it’s the same reason you wouldn’t bench Justin Fields as part of some wild goose chase when the uber-talented, 25-year-old might have the chance of being all he was meant to be at the greener fields of the Steelers organization and under the healthier tutelage of its coaching staff.
Could Justin Fields end up busting out after being given a full season as a starter to explore his future with the team fully?
Of course. Quarterbacks who are chosen with high draft picks are scattered debris on countless NFL highways. Failure rates are incredibly high in the sport’s most demanding position.
But he’s already flashed enough to deserve the chance to demonstrate whether or not he can be counted on if he’s granted the full confidence of the coaching staff over a season-long journey over both smooth and rocky roads.
Frankly, there is no football logic at all in discarding a full, uninterrupted exploration of this opportunity by supplanting him with a 35-year-old quarterback who, at best, has a quality year or two left in his treads.
C’mon people. This needs to not be a controversy at all.
Let’s Be Honest
About 20 years ago, it was not hyperbole to say that early-season games mattered. Key matches at the beginning of the year had legitimate playoff implications.
But let’s be honest. The National Football League, in its never relenting pursuit of dollars like sardines at a dancing seal show, has turned the playoffs into the Statue of Liberty.
They’ll take your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.
Fourteen teams make the playoffs in the postseason, meaning you only need to be barely above average to get a ticket. That translates into 9-8 teams still looking strong. Hmmm…sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
There is no question that playoff seeding matters still…so…yeah…Just Win, Baby…and all of that jive. But it’s not the end all, be all that it once was.
This is why there is a strategy for sacrificing a few early games in an effort to improve the team significantly over the course of a season: play younger players, experiment with tactics, put the team in the lab, and take some chances.
What matters most is how you’re playing and how healthy your roster is leading into the playoffs. Meaningful momentum will matter more than winning at all costs.
Yes…going undefeated is still cool. Bag those wins. But with the bar so low for playoff tickets, winning in January is all about winning in December.
Reset Button
The clock showed 4:46 left in the fourth quarter when Justin Fields hit Pat Freiermuth for a six-yard touchdown pass, giving Pittsburgh a 17-13 lead in the game.
This was another gutsy comeback performance by Fields, who endured a series of bone-cracking collisions throughout the game yet continued to get back up and keep fighting.
There was no one on the Steelers team who had a particularly outstanding game, perhaps with the exception of the sublime output of a lineman or two. The overall performance could be best described as a lunch bucket effort up to that point.
Still, it was at that very moment when I uttered out loud, “I love this team.”
Of course, this love would soon be betrayed when the Steelers’ defense allowed themselves to blow a gasket yet again in the fourth quarter of a game, allowing the Cowboys to retake the lead for good.
But, even in that failure, there was absolute Steelers brilliance in the game’s waning minutes when Elandon Roberts flew over a mosh pit of giants with a spectacular tackle and forced fumble at the goal line.
Unfortunately, the storybook ending wasn’t to be. If only Pittsburgh had recovered that fumble! And, then again, if only they had stopped the Dallas Cowboys on their final 4th down throw.
Regardless, it’s Steelers football once again. After years of dilly-dallying around by chasing another team’s brand identity, Pittsburgh returned to who they are.
They hit the RESET button, and although we’re far from perfect and perhaps still distant from being a true contender, there is one thing I can firmly state.
I love this team.
Let’s hope the love affair continues by finding some Viva in Las Vegas.
