Author Archives: Tony Defeo

It’s OK To Enjoy The NFL Playoffs Without Having A Steelers Agenda

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There’s a famous picture of Rob Lowe, the legendary and ageless actor, wearing an NFL baseball cap while in attendance at the 2019/2020 NFC Championship Game.

Rob Lowe NFC Championship Game

Rob Lowe just loves the NFL. Photo Credit: eOnline.com

And when I say an NFL baseball cap, I mean Lowe wore a hat that simply had the letters N.F.L. on it and not a logo of a particular team he was rooting for.

Social media being what it is, Lowe immediately got roasted for this hat, and, naturally, a meme was quickly generated because of it.

But maybe Lowe was just there to cheer on the NFL playoffs. Maybe he just appreciated the fact that two teams were fighting for the right to play on professional football’s grandest stage.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m now 50 years old, but these days, I find myself watching the NFL playoffs without having a Steelers agenda, without needing to see a particular team win or–let’s be honest–lose just so I can stomach the fact that Pittsburgh isn’t the one who will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy when all is said and done.

I’ve done that in the past, of course. I cheered for the Giants when they took on the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, and I acted as if New York showed up clad in black-and-gold attire. In fact, when Plaxico Burress, a former Steelers receiver, was about to reel in the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning with just seconds to go, I stood up and screamed, “Come on, Plaxico!”

I was so satisfied when the Giants upset New England. It shielded me from the horror of watching the Patriots win a fourth Super Bowl in six seasons. I mean, how could I have lived my life after that?

  • Actually, I think I would have been just fine.

I know I’ll be okay if the Bengals, who just advanced to the AFC title game for the second year in a row — and will be taking on the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium for the second year in a row — once again make it to the Super Bowl and actually win it this time.

  • It’s not going to ruin my mood. It’s not going to make me super-jealous of Bengals fans.

I honestly think it would be a good story. The Bengals, with their long history of either coming up short in the Big Game–they are zero for three in Super Bowls — as well as their 30-plus year drought of not even winning a postseason game? Imagine what capturing their first Lombardi Trophy would do for the psyche of their fans. Imagine would it would do for the perception of the Bengals organization.

What if the Eagles, who play in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh’s cross-state rival, win a second Super Bowl in six seasons, and they do so with Jalen Hurts, a 2020 second-round pick who was feared to be a bust as recently as last offseason, leading the way at quarterback? What a story that would be.

What if rookie quarterback, Brock Purdy, the last player picked in the 2022 NFL Draft (Mr. Irrelevant), leads the 49ers to the Super Bowl and actually helps them win it? San Francisco entered the regular season with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo and youngster Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, at the top of the quarterback depth chart.

  • Unfortunately, both players got hurt, which put the 49ers’ season in peril. It was Purdy to the rescue.

You can’t write fictional stories as good as Purdy’s rookie season has already been. A Lombardi Trophy (the sixth in 49ers history) would be the cherry on top.

Even the Chiefs, a team that will be playing in the AFC title game for the fifth-straight season, would make for a great story if they advanced to their third Super Bowl in four seasons and captured their second Lombardi of the Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes era.

  • No outcome is going to affect me one bit.

I just love the NFL, and I love a good story, even if the Steelers aren’t a part of it.

Even if the Steelers’ legacy takes a hit because of it.

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A Look @ the 6 Times the Steelers Have Needed Help To Make the Playoffs Since 2013

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The history of the Steelers and making the playoffs includes some famous years when they somehow managed to beat the odds and got in after winning their final regular-season game and also getting some outside help.

The 1989 Steelers obviously the most famous example, the Immaculate Reception (if you will) of times that Pittsburgh needed multiple things to fall its way on the final week of the regular season in order to punch its postseason ticket.

Steelers vs Bengals, Steelers players watch Browns vs Ravens, Tyler Matakevich, Marcus Allen

Steelers Players watch Browns after Bengals win. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, PennLive.come

The 1993 Steelers are an underrated example, perhaps because, unlike Chuck Noll’s Cinderella Steelers from a few years earlier, Bill Cowher’s boys, a more talented team that actually underachieved in ’93, didn’t manage to win a playoff game after a few things fell into place which allowed them to sneak into the postseason as the sixth seed in the AFC.

Of course there’s the case of the 2005 Steelers, who also needed help to make the playoffs. They not only got that help (by the final week they were in a “win and we’re in” situation), but won Super Bowl XL, playing all of their games on the road.

There were other times prior to the 2010s when the Steelers went into the final week of the regular season facing a “win-and-need-help” scenario in order to advance into the postseason but did not get the assistance they were looking for.

The Steelers still had a shot at the playoffs by the time their game against the Chargers kicked off at 4 p.m. out on the West Coast.

However, unfortunately for the Black and Gold the Colts, a team also interested in making the playoffs, did them no favors, as they beat up on a Vikings squad that already had its playoff seed wrapped up and had nothing to play for.

The Vikings, actually gave the Colts a run for their money. But then during the game, starter Daunte Culpepper got nicked, and head coach wasted little time putting his starter on ice until the playoffs. Culpepper’s backup was none other than Bubby Brister, who in his final game as a pro, once again kept the Steelers out of the playoffs. 

The Steelers didn’t face another such scenario until 2009, the year in which head coach Mike Tomlin said his struggling team would unleash hell in December. Pittsburgh did eventually get around to raising some hell but not before putting its playoff fate in the hands of other devils in the AFC, including Tomlin’s colleagues, Jim Caldwell and Bill Belichick, who chose to rest their starters against teams who were fighting the Steelers for the final wildcard spots in the AFC.

Anyway, it used to be quite rare for the Steelers to go into their final regular-season game needing to win and get some help in order to make the postseason. But while I could only come up with five examples between 1989 and 2009, it’s now a common occurrence for Pittsburgh to head into the final week with its playoff hopes resting firmly in the arms of other teams that may or may not have anything to play for.

The 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers head into Week 18 needing to defeat the Browns at Acrisure Stadium this Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. While that is hopefully taking place, the Dolphins, a team that’s lost five games in a row but is still alive for the playoffs, needs to lose at home to the Jets, a team that has lost five games in a row and is no longer alive for the playoffs.

Also, the Bills, a team that may or may not still be vying for the top seed at kickoff, needs to defeat the Patriots, a squad that’s still alive for the playoffs, at home.

  • I actually give the Steelers more than a puncher’s chance.

Why? Because these things tend to even out over time. Or, at least I’d like to think so. You see, this will be the sixth time the Steelers have faced this exact scenario since 2013, and the Steelers have a “record” of 2-3.

So even though the Steelers beat the odds as recently as 2021 when the downtrodden Jaguars took out a Colts team that controlled its own destiny, I’d say they’re still due to even their “record” at 3-3.

Over the past 10 seasons, the Steelers have been let down by Ryan Succop (2013) and propped up by Sexy Rex Ryan (2015).

They have also been disappointed in Baker Mayfield (2018) and the complacent Titans (2019).

No matter how things shake out, it’s just amazing that the Steelers have faced this scenario so many times over the past 10 regular seasons.

Is that an indictment of Tomlin? Is that just the nature of NFL parity and something the Steelers managed to avoid for far-too-many seasons?

  • I don’t know, but it is kind of crazy.

At any rate, I sure hope the Steelers win their game, get the help they need, and stamp their ticket to the tournament.

A seventh seed and a trip to Kansas City/Buffalo/Cincinnati never looked so appealing.

 

 

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Both “Franco’s Italian Army” and Franco Harris Himself Fueled the Explosion of Steelers Nation

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It has been said that Mean Joe Greene, the Hall of Fame defensive tackle, two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner and four-time Super Bowl champion, helped change the culture within the Steelers organization.

Joe Greene refused to accept losing and a losing mentality, and he demanded that everyone–including his teammates, coaches and even the team owner–have that same mindset.

  • It’s hard to argue with that sentiment.
Al Vento, Franco Harris, John Stallworth, Franco's Italian Army

Al Vento and wife, Franco Harris, John Stallworth. Photo Credit: Post-Gazette.com

But if Greene changed the culture within the Steelers organization, Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, a nine-time Pro Bowler and a four-time Super Bowl champion, helped change the culture in the stands and in the fan base.

Franco Harris unexpectedly passed away on Wednesday, just days before he was to be honored by having his No. 32 retired 50 years and one day after he starred in the greatest play in NFL history — the Immaculate Reception.

Franco Harris’s sad passing has been met with countless stories of his love of community, love of Steelers fans and just a genuineness that was hard to fake.

Harris became a fixture in the Pittsburgh community and one of the most accessible athletes in the history of the region’s sports landscape.

And I believe the seeds of the figure Harris would become were planted 50 years ago when the Steelers selected him out of Penn State in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft.

Most Steelers fans know the sad history of the franchise for the first 40 years of its existence. Pittsburgh appeared in one postseason game between 1933-1972–a 21-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in an Eastern Conference Playoff Game in 1947.

  • The Pirates were the most popular team in Pittsburgh, and baseball was the top sport.

For years, the Steelers played their home games at Forbes Field–really a baseball venue–before moving to Pitt Stadium–the football home of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers.

But even after Three Rivers Stadium gave the Steelers their first true home in 1970 — sharing it with the Pirates, of course — attendance just wasn’t good. That’s because the results on the field still weren’t promising, even if Chuck Noll, the new head coach hired in 1969, was putting the pillars in place for what would become a rock-solid contender by the early-’70s.

  • But nobody could see it, yet. Nobody could even sense that it was on the horizon.

That all changed in 1972 with the arrival of Harris.

Harris rushed for 1,055 yards as a rookie and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground. He was eventually named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and was voted to his first Pro Bowl.

Harris also galvanized the fan base like no Steelers player had been able to do before him. The fans immediately adopted the youngster, who was of mixed race, as his father was African American, while his mother was Italian. The Italian part of Harris’s heritage was what spawned the most famous fan club in Pittsburgh sports history:

  • Franco’s Italian Army.
Frank Sinatra, Franco Harris, Franco's Italian Army

Frank Sinatra is inducted into “Franco’s Italian Army” in December 1972. Photo Credit: Facebook.com

Franco’s Italian Army was so popular by the end of the 1972 season that Frank Sinatra was named an honorary member and actually interrupted a practice one day in order to greet the rookie running back.

But, make no mistake, Franco Harris was embraced by everyone. Many fans — black, white, Italian, Irish, etc. –identified with Harris. Again, being of mixed race in the early-’70s wasn’t nearly as easy as it is today (and it’s not exactly easy today). Yet, Harris transcended the social climate of the time and was able to find universal appeal.

It certainly helped that he was successful right away and that his arrival marked a transition for the franchise, as the Steelers finished 11-3 and won their first AFC Central Division title. The fans were so ravenous for a football winner by the time Harris came on the scene that, according to him, it was like the whole city had been waiting for such a thing forever.

Even before the end of the 1972 campaign, many more player fan clubs had popped up in the stands at Three Rivers Stadium, but the Italian Army was always the most famous. Harris rewarded his soldiers on December 23, 1972, by riding in on a white stallion (to quote Jack Fleming, the team’s radio play-by-play broadcaster for many years) and riding off into the sunset by scoring a touchdown that not only gave the Steelers their first playoff victory in team history but would continue to grow in lore until it became larger than life.

  • Much like Franco.
  • Much like Steelers fans.

Player fan clubs became commonplace by the end of the decade, as just about every player–even guys like John Banaszak and Dirt Winston — had banners hanging from the stands of old Three Rivers Stadium in celebration of the four-time Super Bowl champions.

Myron Cope, the late, great Steelers color commentator, radio personality and Sports Illustrated writer, created the Terrible Towel in 1975, and it has become the unifying symbol for Steelers fans all over the world.

  • That’s right, I said “The world.”

Thanks to the decay of the steel industry in the 1970s, Pittsburghers were forced to migrate to other parts of the country and even the world in subsequent decades. But no matter where they decided to put down roots, the love for the Steelers stayed with these folks.

  • And this love was passed down to their children and even their grandchildren.

Today, we refer to anyone who is part of this passionate black-and-gold-clad fan base as a member of Steeler Nation.

  • But I believe Steeler Nation started as Franco’s Italian Army in 1972 and just continued to grow from there.

Franco Harris meant so much to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the success they had on the field.

But he may have meant even more to their fans and is perhaps the most galvanizing player in the history of the franchise.

RIP, Franco.

 

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Mike Tomlin is on the Brink of His First Losing Season. Will He Go Over?

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There are many things that annoy fans about Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Number one, they think the only reason Dan Rooney, the late, great owner of the franchise, hired Tomlin to be the Steelers’ next head coach in 2007 was because of the Rooney Rule (Rooney stated multiple times that this wasn’t the case, but even if it was, so what?)

Mike Tomlin, Mike Tomlin Contract

The Steelers have extended Mike Tomlin’s contract by 3 years. Photo Credit: markybillson.medium.com

Number two, they think Tomlin won Super Bowl XLIII with a team that was assembled by Bill Cowher, the man Tomlin replaced as head coach and someone who only managed to win one Super Bowl in 15 years with teams he helped to assemble. (For the record, I love Bill Cowher, but that is one of the dumbest criticisms of Tomlin I have ever heard–it’s too bad it never seems to go away. And how come no one ever criticizes Kevin Colbert for “Only Winning with Tom Donahoe’s players?”) Number three, Tomlin’s teams have only won three playoff games since the 2010 season, when he guided the Steelers to Super Bowl XLV where they lost a heartbreaker to the Packers.

Of those first three reasons, the third one is by far the most valid criticism. While Tomlin has had a great career as the Steelers’ head coach, it comes down to postseason results at the end of the day, and there’s no question he’s come up short in that department over the past 13 seasons.

But there is a fourth reason why fans have often been critical of Mike Tomlin (well, there are plenty more than just four, but who has time for that?), and that’s the fact that he’s never suffered a losing season as head coach of the Steelers.

  • Why is that a criticism of his?

Beats the holy heck out of me, but Tomlin’s most vocal critics love to weaponize it and mock the streak that currently stands at 15 straight seasons. Maybe it’s because Tomlin’s most vocal supporters use it to prop him up in just about every argument involving Tomlin and his abilities as a head coach in the National Football League. Can you blame Tomlin’s supporters for that, though? I mean, the man started to be roundly and unfairly criticized long before the streak was even a streak.

Tomlin remarkably kept past teams together and rallied them to non-losing seasons, and even playoff appearances, during years when they easily could have fallen off a cliff. The Steelers managed to remain relevant in the 2010s, even after the legendary roster that produced three AFC championships and two Lombardi Trophies between 2005-2010 got old all at once.

Perhaps more impressive than Tomlin’s lack of a losing season as head coach of the Steelers is the fact that his teams have only played one game during his tenure where they were officially eliminated from playoff contention at kickoff.

For the record, that game was the final one of the 2012 regular season. It was also the first time Tomlin was on the brink of having his first losing campaign (although, the streak wasn’t long enough for anyone to notice at that point). Fortunately, the Steelers took on a pretty pathetic Browns team at Heinz Field and won in a rather convincing fashion to finish the regular season at 8-8.

  • It was actually the Steelers’ ninth-straight non-losing season dating back to the Cowher years.

The Steelers’ streak of non-losing seasons was in serious jeopardy in 2013 when they started out 0-4 and 2-6. After rallying to get back to 5-6, Pittsburgh then lost two heartbreakers — 22-20 to the hated Ravens on Thanksgiving Night, and then 28-24 to the Dolphins on December 8 — to drop to 5-8.

  • It looked like the streak would end in short order.

In fact, my old boss, completely disinterested in attending another game that season, gave me two free tickets to the Steelers’ next matchup: A Sunday night affair against the soon-to-be AFC North champion Bengals at Heinz Field.

I invited my uncle to the game, and we both froze our butts off. Actually, I later found out that I suffered frostbite in my right big toe, an appendage that still goes numb to this day if my feet get too cold. (Because of the cold and the Steelers’ subpar record, this was the lowest-attended game in the history of Heinz Field up to that point.)

I may have suffered frostbite — and I may have spent half the night standing in the men’s room trying to stay warm–but Pittsburgh won that game rather convincingly to improve to 6-8.

Not only did the Steelers win their last two games to finish the regular season at 8-8, but they ended their season still in playoff contention, where they would remain for the next few hours until Chiefs kicker, Ryan Succop, dashed their hopes out in San Diego.

It wasn’t long after 2013 that the Steelers’ streak of non-losing seasons became Tomlin’s streak of non-losing seasons (and, again, a weapon for his supporters and detractors to use in every debate about his coaching prowess).

Tomlin’s streak hasn’t really been in danger since 2013, even if it looked like it was going straight down the tubes after Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the year in the second game of the 2019 campaign (see Tomlin’s ability to rally compromised teams).

Ben Roethlisberger, Ben Roethlisberger fat, Ben Roethlisberger out of shape,

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in late 2019. Photo Credit: Adam Hunger, AP via York Dispatch

  • That brings us to the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers currently sit at 5-8 after an annoying loss to the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Not only is Tomlin again on the brink of suffering his first losing season as the head coach of the Steelers, but thanks to the NFL’s new 17-game schedule, his team now has to win an extra game in order to keep the streak alive.

  • Can Tomlin avoid it? I don’t really care.

For that matter, neither does Tomlin, who’s on record as saying that he doesn’t seek comfort in something like that. He’s only worried about winning a Super Bowl, and any season that falls short of that is a failure.

But part of me would love to see that streak stay alive. Why? Tomlin’s detractors seem to hate it more than his supporters love it.

Right now, I picture Tomlin as this heel wrestler who is trying to survive a 30-man battle royal. He’s teetering on the brink of elimination and has several other wrestlers attempting to push him out of the ring. Maybe they already have, but they don’t know that both of his feet must touch the ground in order for him to be eliminated. Much like Shawn Michaels in the 1995 Royal Rumble, maybe some people already assume that the end of Tomlin’s streak is a mere formality.

  • But he’s still alive. His second foot hasn’t touched the ground.

Tomlin is still plotting out a way to have yet another non-losing season and anger Steelers fans…for some reason.

I refuse to count out Mike Tomlin until that second foot has touched the floor.

 

 

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Like It or Not: “Benny Snell Football” Was Vital to Steelers Win Over Colts

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There was a lot of hype and hope surrounding running back Benny Snell after the Steelers selected him in the fourth round out of Kentucky in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Why so much hype for a fourth-round pick? For starters, Snell had a very productive collegiate career, rushing for 3,873 yards in three seasons, while eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in each one.

  • Also, Snell had a cool personality, a cool nickname — Benny Snell Football — and an infectious smile.

Lastly, Snell was drafted during the height of social media, and the bells and whistles that accompany draft choices on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram, etc. in this day and age make every single one seem like a future Hall of Famer.

Benny Snell, Steelers vs Colts 2022

Benny Snell celebrates after scoring the go ahead touchdown. Photo Credit: AJ Mast,. AP via The San Diego Tribune.

Snell actually did show a lot of promise during his rookie season, rushing for 426 yards on 108 carries while filling in for the oft-injured James Conner.

Snell’s sophomore season got off to an incredible start when he rushed for 113 yards on 19 carries in a Week 1 win over the Giants. Snell came into the game for Conner, who was, you guessed it, injured, and the calls for him to become the Steelers’ new starting running back were quite audible.

Unfortunately for Snell, he never did overtake James Conner as the Steelers’ starting running back and would only carry the football 92 more times for an uninspiring 255 yards over the final 15 games of the 2020 campaign.

James Conner left as a free agent after 2020, and the Steelers decided to make Najee Harris their 2021 first-round pick, as well as their bell-cow running back.

  • Just how much of a bell-cow back was Harris in 2021? Such a bell-cow, that Snell had just 36 carries for 98 yards.
Najee Harris, Steelers vs Browns, Ben Roethlisberger last game Heinz Field

Najee Harris en route to 188 yards. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

As is usually the case with underperforming mid-level draft picks, the attitude of the fans toward Snell had totally soured by Year 3. Heck, it was going downhill even after 2020, as the faithful began to refer to the former Kentucky workhorse as Benny Snail.

It didn’t matter that Snell had turned himself into a valuable special teams player, the fans simply wanted him gone at the conclusion of the Steelers 2022 training camp.

  • Why did the fans turn on Snell?

He just didn’t live up to the social media hype. Also, that’s mostly how fans are. They’re a lot like college head coaches. They’ll kiss a player’s butt and charm him during the recruiting phase of the relationship, but they have no problem chewing him out and tearing him down the moment he screws up on the football field.

Snell survived the final cut in training camp, but he was dropped to third on the depth chart behind Harris and rookie Jaylen Warren.

  • Snell came into Monday night’s game against the Colts without a single carry in 2022.

Warren missed Monday’s game with a hamstring injury, but the Steelers seemed intent on using Anthony McFarland, a third-year back out of Maryland who was just signed from the practice squad, as the primary backup to Harris.

But then Harris had to leave the Colts game with an abdominal injury, and that forced Snell to be the next man up in the backfield.

Sure, McFarland had a decent night for himself in limited action, tallying 30 yards on five carries, but it was Snell who became the primary back and the workhorse to close out the game. All-in-all, Snell had 12 carries for 62 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

  • Snell looked decisive and strong during most of his 12 carries on Monday night.

What happened? Did he suddenly feel inspired? Did he feel motivated to prove the “haters” wrong?

Or, perhaps, his skills could finally shine thanks to an offensive line that has seemingly figured out a way to open holes in the running game on a consistent basis.

  • It’s critical to remember that Benny Snell came to the Steelers right as the offense was going from a strength to a weakness.
Benny Snell, Steelers offensive line

Bell Snell rushing through the holes opened by the Steelers offensive line. Photo Credit: Robert Gauthier

The offense has been in a rebuilding phase since 2019, complete with a total overhaul on the offensive line, as well as everywhere else, including at quarterback and offensive coordinator.

The Steelers offense has been a chaotic and controversial mess during Snell’s entire career in Pittsburgh. It’s hard enough for a first-round pick to thrive in such an environment–just ask Harris–let alone a fourth-rounder.

Does Monday’s performance mean that Snell should get a bigger role in Pittsburgh’s offense? Not necessarily. I believe Warren has what it takes to be an effective backup behind Harris.

  • I am suggesting that perhaps Snell was never as bad as you think.
  • Maybe he was just a victim of circumstance.

Maybe calling him Benny Snail was a bit unfair and uncalled for.

 

 

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Serious This Time? Might Mike Tomlin Actually Give Jaylen Warren More Carries?

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What if I told you that a particular Pittsburgh running back rushed for 136 yards on 29 carries (4.68 yards per rush) and added another 40 yards on three receptions in the Steelers’ most recent game?

You’d take it, right? Heck, you might even think this running back deserved low-key consideration for NFL Offensive Player of the Week.

Jaylen Warren, Derek Watt, Tyrann Mathieu, Steelers vs Saints

Derek Watt blocks for Jaylen Warren. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

If you were a Steelers fan, you’d also likely assume that the running back was Najee Harris, a second-year player who couldn’t have been more of a workhorse in 2021 when he accumulated 381 total touches.

You’d be right to assume that, too, considering Najee Harris’s head coach is named Mike Tomlin, a man who’s never met a starting back he had no problem running until his wheels fell off.

Your assumption would be off, however, at least if you made it about Pittsburgh’s 20-10 victory over the Saints at Acrisure Stadium last Sunday.

  • No single Steelers running back accumulated the aforementioned stat line.

Instead, the division of labor was divided up, if you will, with Harris toting the rock 20 times for 99 yards, while rookie Jaylen Warren, a UDFA from Oklahoma State, tallied 37 rushing yards on nine carries and added another 40 receiving yards on three catches.

In the days leading up to the game against New Orleans, there was talk — right from the horse’s mouth, in fact (Tomlin’s) — that Warren could and should get a bigger role in the Steelers’ offense.

  • But that had to be just talk from Tomlin. Right?

It was just a way to motivate his bell cow running back, Najee Harris, who had struggled mightily over the first eight weeks of the 2022 campaign. Tomlin has always seemed allergic to the running-back-by-committee approach. If you don’t believe me, ask LeGarrette Blount. If you don’t want to believe Blount (and I can certainly understand why you’d be afraid to even ask him a question), you can ask DeAngelo Williams, a much better teammate than Blount. Unlike Blount, who was cut shortly after leaving the field before the end of a Monday Night Football game against the Titans back in 2014, Williams was happy with his role as the backup to star running back, Le’Veon Bell.

DeAngelos Williams proved to be valuable in 2015, his first season in Pittsburgh, when he filled in for a suspended Bell to start the year and, again, for an injured Bell over the final two months of the regular season.

Williams was again valuable and extremely productive over the first three games of the 2016 regular season when Bell was suspended a second time for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

  • But in spite of Williams’s success (and pleas from this site), when Bell was in the Steelers’ lineup, the former’s role was drastically reduced.

To reiterate, Mike Tomlin has never evolved beyond his bell cow running back philosophy.

Or maybe he has.

Harris and Warren worked beautifully together. You have to credit Tomlin for allowing it to happen, but you also have to credit offensive coordinator Matt Canada for finding a way to utilize both running backs effectively.

Is this the start of a new philosophy for Tomlin? Is he going to finally ease up on his starting running back?

I suppose we’re about to find out over the next few weeks.

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Steelers Fans Should Embrace What Looks To Be A Rare Bad Season

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I feel like a teenager all over again.

Why do I say that? I’ve been reminiscing about the 1980s, back when times seemed simpler and the world was full of possibilities. Maybe it’s because I turned 50 in May. Maybe it’s because I really miss the formative years of my life.

weegie thompson, louis lipps, steelers wide receivers 1980's, 1988 Steelers

Steelers 1980’s wide receivers Louis Lipps and Weegie Thompson. Photo Credit: Getty Images, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Or maybe it’s because the Steelers are oh-so awful in 2022, complete with a 2-6 record and a place near the bottom of many statistical categories, both offensively and defensively.

That’s right, the offense, one now led by rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, is ranked 28th in total yards. As for the defense, one that was supposed to carry the team in 2022, it’s ranked 29th in total yards allowed. Yes, the unit has been without T.J. Watt since Week 1, but the defense was no bargain a year ago, even with Watt putting together a Defensive Player of the Year season.

The calls for head coach Mike Tomlin’s dismissal — calls that were always quite popular even during the good years — have been louder than ever.

Speaking of coaching dismissals, the Steelers have officially reached their bye week, and the only thing the fans are hanging their hats on at the moment is the possible firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

Seriously, the fans are wishing for that like some fans wish for a championship.

The tide is low in 2022. In fact, it hasn’t felt this low since the late-1980s when 6-10 and even 5-11 campaigns became commonplace under the Emperor, Chuck Noll.

Yes, times were tough under Bill Cowher in the late-’90s, but this just “feels” different and more like the 1980s struggles when a turnaround wasn’t just a few moves away.

I guess that’s why I’ve been drawn to mid-to-late-’80s Steelers nostalgia as of late. Maybe that’s why I watched the NFL Films “highlights” from the 1986 campaign, one that ended with a 6-10 record, the franchise’s then-worst mark since 1969. That feature was narrated by Larry Richert, an unknown at the time but someone who would go on to become a Pittsburgh radio icon, as well as Dan Marino‘s brother-in-law.

  • Oh yeah, Richert is the PA announcer for every Steelers home game at Acrisure Stadium.

I’ve also been watching broadcasts from the Steelers’ 5-11 campaign in 1988, their now worst season since 1969. The Steelers started off even worse in ’88 than they did through seven games of the 2022 campaign–1-6–before stunning a slightly better Broncos team, one that was without the legendary John Elway, 39-21 at old Three Rivers Stadium.

I’ll never forget where I was — at my grandparents’ home in Pittsburgh — when Rodney Carter opened the game by galloping for a 64-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0. The late Sam Nover, a long-time sports broadcaster for WPXI, a local affiliate for NBC, was the play-by-play man that day for the Peacock Network and screamed as if Carter had just scored a touchdown in the AFC title game. Maybe that’s because Nover was quite close to the Steelers in those days and was often the locker room reporter who interviewed the players during The Fifth Quarter postgame show.

  • The Steelers actually jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead and looked about as dominant as they would all season.

Much like today, there was talk of Pittsburgh climbing out of its hole and making it to the postseason, but 2-6 eventually turned into 2-10.

The ’88 season was so forgettable that I was given a free ticket to a game against the Eagles at Three Rivers Stadium. It was my first-ever Steelers game, and I went with my uncle–he’s the same age as me, believe it or not. We were two teenagers who had a great time and were surrounded by many lunatics in the stands who supported both Pennsylvania teams, as well as the right to punch each other in the face.

It was fun, but it wasn’t a victory, as the Steelers fell, 27-26, when a 57-yard field goal attempt by Gary Anderson was blocked at the buzzer.

It wasn’t all bad for the Steelers in ’88. In fact, they pulled things together near the end of the season and finished with three wins in their final four games–including an exciting 37-34 victory over the Houston Oilers at the iconic Astrodome on Sunday Night Football.

I don’t know if this current Steelers team can pull itself out of the mess it’s in and avoid its first losing season since 2003. If Pittsburgh can’t, well, the streak had to come to an end sooner or later, right?

I guess it would be fitting for it to happen in 2022, the first one without Ben Roethlisberger as the face of the franchise in nearly two decades.

If the Steelers do actually finish with a losing record in 2022, not only will it be the first time in 19 years, but it would only be the fourth such occasion since Bill Cowher’s arrival in 1992.

That’s pretty incredible, especially when you consider the fact that Pittsburgh finished with a losing record in four of the final seven seasons of Noll’s career.

  • If you’re a Steelers fan, you should embrace the pain. Experience it.

It’s not often you get to witness something like this around here.

 

 

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Report Card For Steelers 38-3 Loss To The Bills At Highmark Stadium

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Quarterback

All things considered, Kenny Pickett looked pretty darn good as he made his first NFL start for the Steelers on Sunday. His stat line read: 34 of 52 passes completed for 327 yards and an interception that was thrown on probably his worst attempt of the day. Pickett showed poise and leadership. He was fiery, like when he got into it with the Bills’ Shaq Lawson late in Sunday’s game thanks to a low and questionable hit by the defender. Unfortunately, Pickett didn’t produce. He could have had more help from his receivers, namely Diontae Johnson, who failed to come up with two catches that may have at least altered the team’s offensive output on the day. Grade: C+

Running Backs

It was another lackluster day for starter Najee Harris, who gained just 20 yards on 11 carries. Harris showed zero explosiveness and didn’t take advantage of the few running lanes that were there against a stout Buffalo defense. Rookie Jaylen Warren looked better, as he rushed for 24 yards on five carries. Unfortunately, most of Warren’s work came in the second half when the Bills’ were up huge and in prevent mode. Grade: D

Tight Ends

It was a relatively quiet day for the tight ends, as Zach Gentry led the way with five receptions for 43 yards, while number one tight end, Pat Freiermuth, tallied just two catches for 12 yards. Grade: D+

Wide Receivers

It was a semi-productive day for the Steelers’ top three wideouts, led by George Pickens, who posted six catches for 83 yards. Johnson nabbed five passes for 60 yards, while Chase Claypool pulled in another five for 50 yards. But as alluded to earlier, Johnson failed to come up with what would have been a highlight reception early in the game that would have set the offense up with a first and goal. Again, would it have been a tough grab for Johnson, who made a one-handed catch near the sideline but failed to drag his right foot in bounds? Yes, but he’s a number-one receiver who signed a contract extension worth $18 million a year. He’s got to come down with some of these tough catches every now and then. Also, it was the fifth-straight game that Pittsburgh’s receivers failed to score a touchdown this season. Grade: D+

Offensive Line

Pickett was sacked three times and didn’t necessarily have all the time in the world when he did try to sit back in the pocket. There were a lot of quick throws to the sidelines to slow down the Bills’ great front seven. Also, the rushing offense was almost non-existent. Grade: D

Defensive Line

Once again, the Steelers defense failed to generate even a sliver of a pass rush and barely inconvenienced Josh Allen as he stood back in the pocket. That starts up front with Cameron Heyward and company. It’s true that Heyward is getting up there and is receiving the brunt of the attention with T.J. Watt absent from the defense, but I think most expected a bit more from the veteran. Rookie DeMarvin Leal did knock down a couple of passes, but that was early in the game before things truly got out of hand. Grade: F

Linebackers

Another uninspired effort by Devin Bush, who may not have even half the playmaking ability the Steelers thought he did when they traded up to select him in the 2019 NFL Draft. Myles Jack did lead the team in tackles with six, but someone had to. Robert Spillane was a non-factor and again struggled to do much in pass coverage. As for the outside linebackers? It was a quiet day for Alex Highsmith, as the front seven failed to record a single hit on Allen all afternoon–the lone quarterback hit was recorded by safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Malik Reed continued to be invisible in place of the injured Watt and has yet to even approach the standard head coach Mike Tomlin loves to set for his backups. Grade: F

Secondary

The tone was set for the day when Allen, facing a third and 10 from his own two-yard line, found receiver Gabe Davis for a 98-yard touchdown pass on the game’s third play. Davis badly beat Levi Wallace on the play before shooting past safety Tre Norwood, who was the last line of defense because Fitzpatrick blitzed up the middle. Allen, who passed for 424 yards and four touchdowns, had a field day with the Steelers secondary, as did Buffalo’s receiving corps, led by Davis, who later pulled in a 62-yard touchdown pass over a determined Fitzpatrick, who tried in vain to rip the football from the receiver’s possession. Wallace did intercept an Allen pass in the end zone early in the game, but all that did was temporarily stop the bleeding. Grade: F

Special Teams

It was a mixed bag. The game started off strong for the special teams unit, as Norwood tackled Taiwan Smith, who muffed the opening kickoff, at the two-yard line. But immediately after the Bills scored on a 98-yard touchdown pass, James Pierre, filling in for an injured Steven Simms, fumbled the subsequent kickoff, and the Bills recovered. Buffalo failed to capitalize thanks to Heyward blocking a 49-yard field goal attempt by Tyler Bass.

Chris Boswell had a rare bad day, going one of three on field goal tries in the windy Buffalo conditions–including a miss from 33 yards out late in the first half.

Pressley Harvin III also struggled with the Buffalo wind and, after connecting on a 69-yard punt early in the game, averaged just 31 yards over his next three boots. Grade: D

Coaching

The Steelers were out-hit, out-schemed and out-coached from whistle to whistle. The Bills are clearly in a much higher class than the Steelers, and Tomlin and Co. could do nothing to close the gap. Grade: F

Unsung Hero

It’s hard to pick one of these in a game like this, so let’s just go with Pickens, who appears to be well on his way to becoming the Steelers’ top weapon.

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Report Card For Steelers 24-20 Loss To Jets At Acrisure Stadium

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Quarterbacks

Mitchell Trubisky‘s 2022 tenure as the Steelers’ starting quarterback seemed to be a doomed mission the moment Pittsburgh selected Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Trubisky’s less-than-stellar start to his Steelers career further cemented that sentiment. And if those two things weren’t enough, his failure to generate much offense against the Jets in the first half on Sunday seemed to seal his fate. True, Trubisky was the victim of some bad luck, namely when it came to receiver Diontae Johnson, who failed to come up with a slightly tipped pass that was instead intercepted early in the game. Trubisky hit Johnson in the back up the end zone with what appeared to be a touchdown pass later in the first half, only for it to be called incomplete thanks to Johnson’s left toe just barely grazing the out-of-bounds marker in the back of the end zone. After completing seven of 13 passes for 84 yards and an interception, Trubisky was replaced in the second half by Pickett, who seemed to energize both the home crowd and his teammates. Pickett completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards, zero passing touchdowns and three interceptions, but he did manage to score two rushing touchdowns and took the Steelers from a 10-6 deficit to a 20-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. Again, Pickett made mistakes, but neither of his first two interceptions were glaring rookie gaffes. As for his third pick? It was on a Hail Mary to close out the game. Pickett made two throws–a back-shoulder completion to George Pickens and a strike to Pat Freiermuth in the face of a fierce pass rush–that made you believe he could develop into something special. Grade: C+

Running Backs

Najee Harris appeared to be “this” close to breaking a few long runs. As it stood, however, he gained 74 yards on 18 carries. Not a bad day but certainly not the kind of workhorse afternoon an offensively-challenged team needs from its bell-cow running back. Rookie Jaylen Warren added 18 yards on just three carries. Grade: C

Tight Ends

Freiermuth had one of his finer days as a pro, catching seven passes for 85 yards. He’s looking more and more like a future star at his position and may just need the right quarterback to make this possible. It was a rather quiet day for Zach Gentry, who gained just two yards on a shovel pass. Grade: B

Wide Receivers

Pickens finally had his breakout day, catching six passes for 102 yards. Unfortunately, the rest of the receiving corps was invisible. Johnson, who caught just two passes for 11 yards, could have had a much better day had he been able to complete some tougher catches. For example, the interception by Trubisky was tipped at the line of scrimmage, but big-time receivers make big-time catches. Big-time receivers also find a way to drag a toe in bounds to complete touchdown receptions in the back of the end zone. Chase Claypool had zero catches on the day and has been roundly criticized for his part in the deep pass from Pickett that was intercepted. Grade: C-

Offensive Line

The offensive line continued to get better at blocking for the run on Sunday, but the hogs did a poor job at pass protection in the first half, as Trubisky was sacked three times. There were also some key penalties at critical moments. Grade: C

Defensive Line

It was another quiet day for Cameron Heyward, who continued to be isolated and shut down in T.J. Watt‘s absence. Larry Ogunjobi had a decent day, but he has yet to truly make his presence known. Rookie DeMarvin Leal had a nice outing and continued to show the potential to be a disruptor up front. Grade: C

Linebackers

Malik Reed has been mostly invisible as a pass-rusher filling in for Watt. Reed also failed to diagnose the Philly Special that New York called in the first half and didn’t cover quarterback Zach Wilson, who managed to slip into the end zone untouched for an easy touchdown. Alex Highsmith recorded four tackles and Pittsburgh’s lone sack on the day. As for the inside linebackers, Myles Jack led the Steelers with eight tackles but also bit hard on some influence plays that resulted in huge gains by New York. Devin Bush posted six tackles but again didn’t do much to make a difference for a Steelers defense that is sorely missing playmakers without Watt in the lineup. It was a pretty quiet game for Robert Spillane, who recorded one tackle and struggled in pass coverage. Grade: C-

Secondary

Cornerback Cameron Sutton thwarted a potential scoring drive by intercepting a Wilson pass late in the first half. Meanwhile, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick set up the Steelers’ first touchdown of the day by intercepting a tipped pass in the third quarter and returning it to the New York two-yard line. These plays looked like they would help to decide the game in Pittsburgh’s favor, that is until the secondary melted in the final period and allowed several easy conversions during the Jets’ two fourth-quarter touchdown drives. Grade: C-

Special Teams

Kicker Chris Boswell continued to be his awesome self, connecting on two field goals–including a 59-yarder on the final play of the first half, which set a new record for Acrisure Stadium (and tied his own personal record).

It wasn’t a great day for punter Pressley Harvin III, who averaged just 39.5 yards on four punts.

Return man Gunner Olszewski continued to struggle on punt returns and, if not for the herculean effort by James Pierre to retrieve the loose football, would have fumbled another one away in front of the home folks. Grade: C-

Coaching

Other than his decision to put Pickett in at the beginning of the second half, it’s hard to say what head coach Mike Tomlin did right in this game. His players came out uninspired in the first half, and his defense let yet another game slip away in the fourth quarter. Matt Canada’s offense was again ineffective to start the game. As for Teryl Austin? His defense just can’t seem to generate much of a pass rush in Watt’s absence. Grade: D

Unsung Hero

If Pierre doesn’t come up with the Olszewski fumble, Sunday’s game may not even have come down to the final seconds.

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Report Card For Steelers 29-17 Loss To Browns on TNF

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Quarterback

Mitchell Trubisky had his best game of the 2022 regular season against the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday Night Football. Unfortunately, that might be damning Trubisky with faint praise. Yes, he did look much better in the first half while leading the offense to two scoring drives, including a one-yard run to give Pittsburgh a 14-13 lead late in the second quarter. But the offense was almost non-existent in the second half and was forced to punt on its first three possessions. All-in-all, Trubisky completed 20 of 32 passes for 207 yards and may have had a slightly better night had receiver Diontae Johnson been able to hold onto a pass down the right sideline late in the third quarter with the Browns leading, 16-14. Grade: C

Running Backs

Najee Harris had his best game of the young season, rushing for 56 yards and a five-yard touchdown on 15 carries. Meanwhile, rookie Jaylen Warren had a bit of a breakout game in his own right, rushing for 30 yards on four carries. Unfortunately for Warren–and Trubisky and his night–a short pass that resulted in a 35-yard catch and run by Warren early in the third quarter was wiped out by a penalty on right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor and killed a promising Steelers drive that may have extended their one-point halftime lead. Grade: C+

Tight Ends

Pat Freiermuth didn’t catch any passes until the final moments when he reeled in two for 41 yards with the Steelers desperately trying to claw their way back from a 23-14 hole. Zach Gentry didn’t receive a single target all night. Grade: C-

Wide Receivers

Rookie George Pickens made the catch of the year when, while falling backward, he reached out with his left hand to snag a pass from Trubisky for a 36-yard gain in the first half. Sadly, Pickens would go on to catch just two more passes for two more yards. Johnson had a decent night, catching eight passes for 84 yards. He may have had an even bigger night had he been able to pull in that aforementioned deep ball from Trubisky late in the third period. Yes, he was covered well on the play and would have had to make a one-handed grab, but he’s the big money man of the receiving corps now and could have helped his quarterback out at that point in a close game. Grade: C

Offensive Line

The line played its best game of the 2022 campaign. But even though Trubisky was only sacked once and hit twice, and even though the Steelers rushed for 104 yards on 22 carries for 4.7, the offense was so impotent in the second half that it’s hard to give the unit anything but an average grade. Throw in the critical penalty on Okorafor that wiped on a huge gain, and that hurts the unit’s cause even more. Grade: C

Defensive Line

To say this Steelers’ defense, the highest-paid in the NFL, is simply average without T.J. Watt would be an understatement, and that starts up front with the defensive line. Cameron Heyward has been invisible since Watt’s injury. Has he faced more double teams? Sure, but that should be freeing up other guys to make plays, and they really have not. Larry Ogunjobi did record half a sack, but the Browns also rushed for 171 yards on 38 carries. Grade: C-

Linebackers

Both Myles Jack and Devin Bush had productive nights at inside linebacker, tallying 12 and 11 tackles, respectively. As for the outside linebackers, Alex Highsmith had a really good night, registering eight tackles, two quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. Unfortunately, Highsmith’s counterparts on the other side–including Malik Reed and Jamir Jones–were sort of just there. Grade: B

Secondary

Not a good night for the secondary, as receiver Amari Cooper–seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown–and tight end David Njoku–nine receptions for 89 yards and a score–dominated the entire game. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who had the game of his life in Week 1, failed to come close to that kind of performance for the second week in a row–and the Steelers need him to do that on a consistent basis with Watt out of action for some time. Grade: D

Special Teams

Kicker Chris Boswell proved that he wasn’t automatic from inside of 50 yards, by pulling a 49-yard attempt wide right early in the game. True, Boswell was kicking in windy conditions, but a successful try may have changed how the game unfolded down the stretch. Pressley Harvin III, 42.4 yards per punt on five boots, was solid if unspectacular. The return game was just there. Grade: C

Coaching

I hate to use a cliche and say that Mike Tomlin and Co. were outcoached over the final two periods after the Steelers played their best half to start the game, but it sure felt like it, didn’t it? Offensive coordinator Matt Canada is once again the subject of fan wrath thanks to an uninspired second-half showing. As for Teryl Austin, defensive guru Brian Flores and Tomlin, the brain trust of the defense, why haven’t they been able to scheme up any quarterback pressure in Watt’s absence? Grade: D

Unsung Hero Award

Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. held up quite well against Myles Garrett all night.

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