Following each game in the 2024 Steelers season I will once again be giving you my 10 takes. These aren’t going to be hot takes that are meant to shock the world. These will be instant reactions written just following the game when the emotions are high and the ideas are fresh. Included will be thoughts, observations, queries, and reasons that caused me to yell at the television.
Regular Season Week 14 vs Cleveland Browns
1. A Grade of D – Hold on. It’s not what you think. That D stands for a third division win. It stands for double-digit wins with four to go. It’s for the defense that adjusted after a shaky first quarter and finished with two interceptions, three sacks, and five pass breakups.
This was probably the most complete team effort of the season. There were contributions from so many players in every phase of the game. The final four games can go either way. Getting this win was downright definitely needed.
2. Pickens Up the Pieces – The pregame announcement that George Pickens was out due to a hamstring injury was worrisome. Who was going to step up? For a lot of the game the answer to that question was no one. We knew this wide receiver corps had some question marks but without Pickens it really stood out.
However, we got to see a little of what Mike Williams can do despite the fact he pushed off on just about every play. Van Jefferson had one target for a big score. Calvin Austin III was essentially MIA other than drawing a big pass interference call. Scotty Miller made maybe the biggest catch of the game. It was the right move to not risk Pickens making his issue worse, but I hope he doesn’t miss any more time.
3. Remember Last Week? – The passing game last week was something we haven’t seen in a while. This week it went in the other direction. There were zero passing first downs in the first half. I counted at least nine passes behind the line of scrimmage. The were half a dozen throw-it-up-for-grabs-down-the-sideline balls. That was 15 of Russell Wilson’s 26 attempts. The second half featured a couple of nice throws but for the most part it was ugly.
4. Quiet on the Other Side – Kudos to the Steelers for their game plan against Browns DE Myles Garrett in his contest. After dominating the first half of the first game, he was kept relatively quiet. He finished with three tackles and a sack, all of which I believe came in the fourth quarter. The Steelers threw more bodies at him in the passing game. Then had him chasing the fake on multiple read options using his aggressiveness against him. They couldn’t let him disrupt the game again and it worked.
5. Coming Up Short – I’ve talked about the issues this team has had on third/fourth and short previously. Second down, evidently, felt left out. On five second-down plays where the Steelers needed three yards or less, they lost a yard twice, gained two yards twice and four yards one. That four-yard gain was a broken play that was supposed to be a screen.
Four designed runs failed from three yards or less. It didn’t hurt today but continue with that lack of success rate and it will come back to haunt them.
6. Cam Frickin’ Heyward – Honestly, that’s all I need to write. Just his name and you know it’s good. The dude is so consistent, so effective game in and game out. Two more sacks for him today give him eight for the season. He has hit that number in six of the last eight years. He’s tied for the team lead in passes defensed also at eight. He’s fifth in tackles. As respected and feared as any defensive lineman in the league.
7. Where’s Warren? – Jaylen Warren was far and away the most effective running back for the Steelers today. Averaged over five yards on nine carries. He was much quicker to the hole than the other two running backs, which was huge for his success.
And yet late in the game the Steelers use the two slower backs, who are much better on downhill runs, on outside runs to try and bleed the clock. One of those backs fumbled. Use the hot hand. Last week everybody was effective, this week it was Warren. Don’t overthink it.
8. Play Like a Queen – I do love this linebacker group. Elandon Roberts brings the power blowing up linemen and making a big tackle for a loss on fourth down. Payton Wilson has made big plays of late. Patrick Queen is a tough SOB. I think it was in the first half we first saw him favoring his shoulder, definitely playing in pain. So much so, I thought he was coming out. But he remained. Finished with 10 tackles, a pass breakup and had several well-timed blitzes to chase the QB out of the pocket.
They can’t afford to lose him now.
9. Was That a Choice? – The Steelers kicked off to start the second half and Chris Boswell booted it to the 5-yard line and the Browns returned it. A big return for 56 yards. Every other kickoff prior to this was deep in the end zone. Subsequently, every kick after went deep as well. Boswell seems adept at controlling the distance of his kick. In many other games he leaves it consistently at the goal line.
Did someone make the call to kick it shorter to see if the coverage team could make a play? If someone made that call, please don’t do it again.
10. The Cost of a Lack of Control – On the football field, that cost is 15 yards. Joey Porter, Jr. got a penalty for pushing back after being pushed. Kadarius Toney tossed a ball at Ben Skowronek because of something he said and got flagged.
Getting flagged for a retaliatory action because your ego was bruised by a few words or a shove is soft. I understand it’s an emotional game but it’s more damaging to the bully if you laugh in his face and show that whatever he does won’t affect you than to have him win by you getting flagged and hurting your team.
