Pittsburgh Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick had his first interception in almost two seasons on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens, a shocking drought for a player who has been a ballhawk for most of his Steelers tenure. Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger said that he thinks Fitzpatrick’s interception against Baltimore could lead to more for him down the stretch.
“I think for him, it’s gotta feel good. It’s gotta be like, it might just open the flood, I’m hoping it opens the floodgates. I’m hoping it’s all of a sudden, you find a way to get one, it’s like sure, you just start flooding in,” Roethlisberger said on the latest episode of his Footbahlin podcast.
Sometimes, all it takes is getting one, and Fitzpatrick’s interception could help turn things around for him in the turnover department. Before the season, he emphasized playing “Minkah Ball,” and the addition of DeShon Elliott this offseason has allowed him to play more his natural deep safety position.
The problem is that Fitzpatrick is a known commodity, and teams game plan against him. It’s hard to make a play on the ball when it isn’t coming your way. Fitzpatrick has done a good job taking away the deep part of the field for opposing offenses because they don’t want to test him. After getting his first interception of the year, teams avoiding him certainly isn’t going to change, but if teams test Fitzpatrick, the one interception could give him the confidence to be more aggressive and make a play on the ball.
Fitzpatrick downplayed the end of his interception drought and said it “doesn’t matter.” However, had the Steelers won the game, it would’ve been much more impactful, and his response may have changed. Even though he might not think it’s a big deal, it’s still something that should feel good for him and could help turn around his fortunes in the turnover department this season.
The Steelers already clinched a playoff berth, and getting Fitzpatrick going and becoming an impactful player who can force turnovers down the stretch would be huge for Pittsburgh’s defense. Even if he’s the player he was early in the season and continues to take away the deep part of the field, it’ll be beneficial for the Steelers, and Elliott’s return from a hamstring injury should help that happen. Over the next few weeks, we’ll see if Roethlisberger’s hopes can become a reality if Fitzpatrick snags a few more interceptions down the stretch.
