If there’s one thing the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t afraid of, it’s being physical. This year especially, it’s felt like the Steelers are trying to punch every opposing team in the mouth. They let their defense attack, while allowing their offense to grind away at the other team’s will. This week, the Washington Commanders, one of the best teams in the league, are going to test their mettle. Commanders offensive lineman Sam Cosmi seems to believe this game is going to be a brawl.
“They pride themselves on playing physical, and tough, and for each other, and so do we,” Cosmi said recently via JP Finlay on YouTube. “I can see Sunday being a fist fight for sure, just going back and forth. I’m looking forward to that, looking forward to what we have, and looking forward to what they have.”
Cosmi has been with the Commanders since 2021. Originally a tackle, he is now their starting right guard. That means he’ll really be in the trenches this week. The Steelers’ greatest strength is their front even, so Cosmi is going to have to play as physical as he can.
This isn’t the first time another team’s player has praised the Steelers’ physicality. It truly is their identity, which is exactly what they want. The Steelers didn’t build their team to be flashy. The additions they made this offseason confirmed that.
Whether it was hiring Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator, bulking up along the offensive line in the draft, or even recently, adding Preston Smith via trade, the Steelers are set with their style. They want to run the football on offense and harass the quarterback on defense. So far this year, that has worked out well for them.
In their only two losses up to this point, it’s fair to say they weren’t the more physical team. The Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys punished them on the ground. Really, the New York Giants did similar things, but the Steelers’ defense still proved to be the tougher unit that day.
The Commanders do play with a level of physicality as well, although they have a little more flash to them with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Their run game is dominant, and HC Dan Quinn has their defense looking strong. Cosmi may be correct that this game leaves both teams with a few extra bruises this week. As two of the best teams in the league, they’ve both got a lot to prove.
