This year, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ calling card has been their ferocious defense. Arguably the best in the NFL, the Steelers’ defense hasn’t been perfect, but it has definitely won games for the team this year. Whether it’s Beanie Bishop Jr.’s interceptions or T.J. Watt’s forced fumbles, that unit consistently makes plays. However, that unit have its hands full this week with the Washington Commanders.
“The thing I’m looking forward to, I just read this crazy stat that they’ve only had 19 punts in nine games,” Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said Friday on Scoop City. “In two games, they had zero punts. So, when you think about that stat, we were even talking about it, if you get off the field, you gotta throw a pep rally because nobody else is really doing this.”
Led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders’ offense has flattened almost every defense in front of them. According to FOX Sports, they have the third-best total offense in the NFL. Daniels’ abilities as a passer have been much better than expected, and it’s his mobility that truly makes him dangerous.
Daniels’ athleticism has really brought the Commanders’ running game to life. Alongside starting running back Brian Robinson Jr., the Commanders have the third-best ground game in the league. As of late, the biggest weak spot for the Steelers’ defense has been stopping the run. The Commanders are going to give them a huge test.
Also, pep rallies are usually held before games in order to build excitement and passion for fans, but throwing one on the sideline after every stop might not be a bad idea. It’s going to take a lot to really halt this Commanders offense.
The Chicago Bears have been the only team to really slow them down. They had that game won until Daniels completed a Hail Mary to stun the Bears. Before that, they had forced the Commanders to punt five times and held them to field goals. They showed this offense isn’t unstoppable.
The important lesson to learn there is to keep the pep rallies on sidelines. One of the reasons the Commanders completed that pass to win the game was because one of their corners was too busy jawing at fans to pay attention to the play. It’s okay to be excited about getting a stop, but don’t really celebrate until the game is over.
This week is likely going to be the Steelers’ biggest test of the season so far. The Commanders have been one of the NFL’s best, and if the Steelers want to prove they’re the real deal, they need to win games like this one. If they get into the playoffs, odds are they’ll play against an offense of this caliber.
