Tag Archives: Kordell Stewart

4 Solutions to the Steelers Quarterback Depth Chart “Math” Problem

Posted on by Standard Reply

If there’s one thing you can say about the internet, it’s that it is predictable. Aaron Rodgers signing ended the daily “Will HE? Or Won’t HE?” “updates” that bombarded us.

But now that Aaron Rodgers is in the fold, fretters still have to fret, so on comes the next “crisis,” namely the Steelers quarterback depth chart math problem.

Aaron Rodgers’ return gives the Steelers four quarterbacks, with veteran backup Mason Rudolph, second year man Will Howard, and 2026 3rd round draft pick Drew Allar.

How in the world will the Steelers manage 4 quarterbacks?

What kind of monster have Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy created for themselves…?

  • OR something like that. And it’s all nonsense.

The Steelers have dealt with this situation before, as recently as 2018, when they had Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Joshua Dobbs and Mason Rudolph.

The answer to resolving this four quarterback quandary is the same now as it was then: Let reality unfold at its own pace.

With that understood, there are 4 possible outcomes, none of which should force anyone to fret.

Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar at Steelers OTAs in the spring of 2026

Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar at Steelers OTAs. Photo Credit: Alysa Rubin, Steelers.com

1. Attrition May Make Decisions for Mike McCarthy

Let’s be clear. No NFL coach or General Manager ever wants injuries to make decisions for him. But it happens all the time.

  • Omar Khan alluded to this in his post-draft press conference.

Even though quarterbacks don’t get hit in training camp, the Steelers have seen plenty of quarterbacks injured during the summer.

  • Summer injuries cost Charlie Batch both the 2004 and 2008 seasons.

The Steelers were planning to start Byron Leftwich during Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension in 2010, but Leftwich got hurt. Dennis Dixon started the season and got hurt, and up stepped Charlie Batch – So it was a good thing the Steelers had 4 quarterbacks at their disposal, wasn’t it?

A year later, the Steelers brought the same quartet to St. Vincents, only to have Dennis Dixon get injured and lost for the season – again, math problem solved.

Bruce Gradkowski got hurt in camp in 2015, leading Michael Vick’s stint with the Steelers. Depth is a luxury in the NFL, not a liability. Quarterback is no exception.

2. Let the Preseason Play Speak for Itself

Football isn’t like amateur wrestling, you can’t just wrestle off two quarterbacks to see who is better. But quarterback competitions can tell you a lot.

  • And right now, I’d guess that Mike McCarthy really wishes he was playing 4 preseason games.

[Cue the Dana Carvey-like Grumpy Old Man rant about how NFL errs by devaluing preseason.]

The upside to only having 3 preseason games is that Aaron Rodgers probably won’t play in any of  them, so it frees up reps for everyone else. That should be enough for Rudolph to get his feet wet with the McCarthy’s offense while giving the coaches a good look at Howard and Allar in varied situations.

Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, Mason Rudolph, Joshua Dobbs, Steelers 4 quarterbacks

Can the Steelers keep 4 quarterbacks in 2018? Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Mike Tomlin let his 3 quarterbacks duke it out in summer of 2018 and at the end he decided to cut Landry Jones. Given that Jones was the only backup quarterback with NFL experience, the move raised eyebrows.

But Jones never threw another NFL pass, while Dobbs and Mason Rudolph have made a 34 NFL starts between them.

3. Steelers Have Kept 4 Quarterbacks Before. Why Not Again?

Keeping 4 quarterbacks is unorthodox. But it has been done before. The New England Patriots began the 1989 season with 4 quarterbacks on their active roster, and all four made starts.

The Steelers of course kept 4 quarterbacks in 1995, when they had Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller and Kordell Stewart. Less well-remembered is 1999, when they did it again keeping Stewart, Tomczak, Pete Gonzalez, and Anthony Wright,. the Steelers “forgotten 4th quarterback.”

Anthony Wright, Steelers

Anthony Wright the Steelers forgotten 4th String Quarterback. Photo Credit: Peter Diana, Post-Gazette

The roster math behind 4 quarterbacks is certainly complicated here in 2026, but Mike McCarthy will have an easier time today than Bill Cowher and Tom Donahoe did in 1995.

For starters, Bill Cowher kept Rod Woodson on the active roster throughout the Steelers 1995 season. And, unlike today, injured reserve ended a player’s season.

So Bill Cowher kept 4 quarterbacks AND an injured player on the active roster all season long and still made it to Super Bowl XXX. So keeping 4 quarterbacks can be done. And if not…

Speaking of injured reserve….

4. Follow the Washington Redshirts’ Example

In the pre-salary cap of the 1980’s Washington was notorious for stashing players on injured reserve. Joe Gibbs and Bobby Bethard had it down to a science.

One ESPN commentator went so far as to refer to them as the “Washington Redshirts.”

They did this with players at every position, but they excelled at doing it with quarterbacks. Both Mark Rypien and Stan Humphries had “Redshirt seasons” on Washington’s IR before going on to start Super Bowls.

So if both Howard and Allar show promise in the summer well then, one of them could end up pulling a groin in late August, couldn’t he….?

The Pittsburgh Steelers will arrive at St. Vincents with a quarterback math problem. But it is a good problem to have and one with several solutions. Let’s just let reality unfold at its own pace.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Draft Drew Allar, Quarterback from Penn State in 3rd Round of 2026 NFL Draft

Posted on by Standard Reply

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar with the first of their 3 third round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

In doing so, Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy continued to stick close to the Steelers 2026 Draft Needs Matrix. Wide receiver was the top need, quarterback their second with offensive tackle coming in third.

Drew Allar quarterbacking for Penn State against North Western in his final collegiate game.

Steelers Drew Allar, the Steelers 2026 3rd round pick. Photo Credit: Barry Reeger, AP, via the Post-Gazette.

With their first pick the Steelers drafted offensive tackle Max Iheanachor, in the second round they traded up to take wide receiver Germie Bernard and now in the third round they’ve added a quarterback.

  • Just one year ago draft analysist touted Drew Allar as a potential first round prospect.

However, he injured his ankle while scrambling during the 4th quarter of Penn State’s October 11th 22-22 loss to Northwestern. The injury ended his season and cost Allar a chance to make up inconsistent performance which had already caused scouts to question his worthiness of first round status.

Roy Countryman of Big Country Scouting ranked Allar as one of his 4th round value picks, describing him as perhaps “the most enigmatic prospect in this year’s draft class.” Countryman praises Allar’s athletic traits and explains this enigmatic diagnosis this way:

…Is adept between the ears as he can process coverage schemes and reads at a quality rate and is a sturdy presence in the pocket who will stand tall and deliver passes to his receivers….

…What frustrates too often is that you see the flashes of Allar’s high points, but he makes some highly questionable decisions and his accuracy can wane under duress or when he’s out of rhythm. His footwork is a trainwreck, which causes some of his touch issues.

Steelers quarterback’s coach Tom Arth conceded that Allar’s footwork needs attention, while praising the Penn State signal caller as someone with the size and strength for “…playing the physical brand of football that it is in the AFC North.”

Steel City Insider’s Matt C. Steel share with Steel Curtain Rising the he also had Allar pegged as a 4th rounder explaining that he’s “Worth trying to develop his measurables by round four if the rest of these players are off the board.”

Watch Drew Allar Highlights: Steelers 2026 3rd Round Pick

Drew Allar was a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions and went 26-9 career in his 35 starts.

Here’s a look at his highlight reel, where you can see Allar’s impressive arm-strength, mobility and pocket presence on display.

Drew Allar’s flashes are easy to see. The question is whether the Mike McCarthy, Brian Angelichio Tom Arth can transform those flashes into consistent NFL quarterback play.

Does Drew Allar Reshape the Steelers’ 2026 Quarterback Room…?

By drafting Drew Allar, the Steelers have added a third quarterback to their roster in addition to Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. The proverbial “Elephant in the room” is of course Aaron Rodgers‘ absence.

Throughout the off season, the Steelers brass, from Art Rooney II to Omar Khan to Mike McCarthy have expressed optimism on the record that Rodgers will sign with the team. They’ve backed this up with obvious off the record assurances to reporters.

And Tom Arth doubled down on this narrative confirming, “I don’t believe that has any impact on Aaron.”

If Arth is right, that gives the Steelers a numbers problem. Before the draft the idea of having Rodgers backed up by a veteran (Rudolph) and a developmental prospect (Howard) was straightforward.

Now the Steelers have two developmental prospects. Mike McCarthy has already said he can manage the development of two young players simultaneously.

  • But keeping 4 quarterbacks present Pittsburgh with a math problem.

Yes, the Steelers have kept 4 quarterbacks twice before. In’95, they kept Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller and Kordell Stewart. The plan worked well, as all four quarterbacks threw passes that season, and the “Slash” phenomenon helped fuel the 1995 Steelers run to Super Bowl XXX.

Kordell Stewart, Mike Tomczak, 1999 Steelers

Kordell Stewart and Mike Tomlin in the late 1990s.

Moreover, Tomczak, Miller and Stewart all did stints as the Steelers starting QB following O’Donnell’s departure in free agency.

They also kept four quarterbacks at the end of the decade when they carried with Stewart, Tomcazk, Pete Gonzalez and Anthony Wright on their roster for the duration of the 1999 season. But after the ’99 neither Tomcazk, nor Gonzalez nor Wright ever wore a Steelers uniform again.

The Steelers kept 4 quarterbacks in 1995 because of their collective strength, whereas in 1999 it revealed the group’s weakness.

The challenge, for Drew Allar as well as Will Howard isn’t just to force Mike McCarthy into a difficult math problem, but to do so from a position of strength.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

5 Steelers Draft Lessons Omar Khan Must Apply in the 2026 NFL Draft

Posted on by Standard 1

The 2026 NFL Draft is days away, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting on a mother lode of draft picks. Thanks to trades, compensatory picks and hoarding his own, Omar Khan has 12 choices at his disposal in the upcoming draft.

  • Those picks open many possibilities for Pittsburgh.

But to be successful, the Steelers brain trust must make wise decisions. With that in mind, let’s take a look at lessons Steelers draft history teaches us.

This is the latest article in our Steelers 2026 Draft coverage.

Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan, Photo Credit: Nola.com

1. Challenge Conventional Wisdom on Compensatory Picks

Omar Khan is already learning this lesson in real time. Last spring Khan’s focus in free agency was to stockpile compensatory picks so he could trade up in what was supposed to be a QB-rich draft.

“Stockpile compensatory picks Khan has, but QB poor has this draft turned out to be,” in Yoda speak.

  • Other drafts teach a similar lesson.

The Steelers went into the 1998 draft with 14 picks. Tom Donahoe made no bones about trading some of those, boasting, “There’s no way 14 rookies can make our team.”

Donahoe was right. It’s near-impossible to imagine 14 rookies making any non-expansion NFL roster. Yet, Donahoe’s claim was laced with a touch of latent arrogance.

Stub from April 1st 1998 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette detailing the Steelers compensatory draft picks.

Stub from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 1, 1998. Thanks to Gordon Gordon Dedman, @SteelUK for supplying this.

Free agent exoduses had been the norm in Pittsburgh throughout the 1990s. The 1997 Steelers AFC Championship loss seemed to have proven franchise could defy gravity. Instead, 1998 was the year the Steelers came crashing back down to earth.

Now, several things led to Bill Cowher’s first losing season in 1998, but a wiser use of draft choices could have helped avert that (see below.)

2. Initial Story Lines Come with a Grain of Salt

The NFL Draft is such a successful media event because its core product is hope. And best way to sell hope is with a good story. And that’s perfectly fine, as long as you remember that many of the initial stories spawned on draft day won’t come to fruition, or at least not the way you expect them to.

When the Steelers drafted him, Chris Berman and company mused about whether Ward’s arrival heralded the advent of Slash II. (“Slash” is of course Kordell Stewart, whose play as a QB/WR/RB helped propel the 1995 Steelers all the way to Super Bowl XXX.)

Ward after all had played quarterback and running back in addition to wide receiver at Georgia. Both the Post-Gazette and Tribune Review ran articles exploring the “Slash” angle.

Hines Ward, Super Bowl XL, Steelers Super Bowl XL, Antwaan Randle El Hines Ward Super Bowl XL

Hines Ward seals the win in Super Bowl XL. Photo Credit: Bill Frakes, Sports Illustrated

They were great draft-day stories, and Ward authored a Hall of Fame-worthy resume which included his MVP performance in Super Bowl XL. But he only threw two passes in his NFL career.

3. Good Drafts Age Like Fine Wine

To borrow from Eddie Van Halen, a “Right Here, Right Now” mentality dominates the NFL draft.

People go to the inane extent of grading mock drafts. Before the ink on draft cards even dries, we’re bombarded by “draft grades.”

That’s fun. It generates clicks. But no amount of page views can alter the simple reality that judging a draft takes several years. Tom Donahoe’s final drafts in Pittsburgh prove that point.

Dan Rooney, Dan Rooney decisions, Tom Donahoe, Bill Cowher, Tom Modark, Steelers 1992 Draft

Tom Donahoe, Tom Modark, Dan Rooney and Bill Cowher in the Steelers 1992 draft room. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Dan Rooney fired Tom Donahoe after the 1999 Steelers finished 6-10. Rooney’s main reason was that Donahoe and Cowher were barely on speaking terms. But at the time, many also questioned Donahoe’s personnel decisions, particularly his recent drafts.

The 1998 and 1999 drafts brought Alan Faneca, Hines Ward, Deshea Townsend, Joey Porter, Sr. and Aaron Smith to Pittsburgh. Today, we see them as foundational players of the Steelers second Super Bowl Era.

  • But that would have been a hard sell when Kevin Colbert was hired in 2000.

Aaron Smith was an unknown. Joey Porter Sr. was the pre-season sensation that Carlos Emmons had kept on the bench. Deshea Townsend had started 4 games and wouldn’t start full-time until Dick LeBeau returned in 2004.

Kevin Colbert actively tried to replace Hines Ward in his first draft and, in the pages of the Steelers Digest, Bob Labriola was raising questions, albeit in measured tones, about Alan Faneca.

Yes. Like Riglos Gran Crote, good drafts age well with time.

4. Measure Drafts by Quality, Not Quantity

True to his word, Tom Donahoe didn’t draft 14 players, trading a 2nd, a 3rd and a 5th to move up to get Jeremy Staat in the 2nd round. So Donahoe gave up 3 picks to get one player who made 2 career starts. Anyone of those picks could have been to add a much-needed offensive tackle or wide receiver.

On the flip side, the Steelers picked 13 players in the 2003 and 2004 drafts. And collectively, those drafts only yielded 4 starters. Sounds pretty damning doesn’t it? Well, it does, until you consider that those starters were Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, Max Starks and Ben Roethlisberger.

Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, AFC Championship

Ben Roethlisberger hugs Troy Polmalu after the AFC Championship. Photo Credit: Pin Interest

The Steelers don’t win either Super Bowl XL or Super Bowl XLIII if they’re missing any one of those players. Joe Flacco, Matt Hasselbeck or Ken Whisenhunt would all agree.

The lesson for Omar Khan? When in doubt, draft the next Hall of Famer.

5. Steelers Should be Swindlers Not Suckers

Like their predecessors, there’s little chance Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy will draft 12 players later this week. Khan, as we know, likes to wheel-and-deal.

And while most of the focus is on who Khan should trade up for, where he should do it and how much he should give up, the Steelers would be wise try to trade 2026 picks for picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.

How might this dynamic play out? Khan’s own words from the George Pickens trade press conference guide us. This is how Khan explained the value of draft picks:

But, yeah, when you’re, the day of the draft or going through the draft, every one of those picks feels like they’re the greatest pick. You don’t want to get rid of them. They’re valuable. They’re all important.

Here’s the simple English take away: Suckers are born every minute in the NFL draft.

  • The Steelers have been suckers in the past.

During the 2013 NFL Draft, Steelers traded their 2014 third round pick for a 2013 4th rounder get Shamarko Thomas (Ouch!). In the 2021 NFL Draft they traded their 2022 fourth rounder to get a 2021 5th rounder to draft Isaiahh Loudermilk (ouch!)

It takes two to tango — Khan can’t simply snap his fingers and turn one (or two) of the Steelers 2026 thirds in to 2027 seconds. Moreover, the Bengals-Giants Dexter Lawrence trade suggests there’ll be a buyer’s market in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Sounds like its time for someone to go out and remind us why we call him the Khan artist…..

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Will the Steelers Re-Sign MVP Kenneth Gainwell in Free Agency?

Posted on by Standard Reply

In 2025 the Steelers “took a flyer” on free agent running back Kenneth Gainwell giving him a one-year, veteran minimum contract. Gainwell took that opportunity and ran with it well enough to win the Steelers 2025 MVP award.

So if a guy reaches free agency and has just won the MVP award, re-signing him is a no-brainer, Right?

That hasn’t always been so in Pittsburgh, so Steelers Kenneth Gainwell free agency decision promises to be an interesting one.

Kenneth Gainwell, Darnell Washington, Steelers vs Bears

Kenneth Gainwell runs for 55 yards. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Capsule Profile of Kenneth Gainwell’s Career with the Steelers

In December 2024 the Steelers traveled to Philadelphia and got their teeth kicked in by the eventual Super Bowl Champion. While all eyes were on the Eagles starting running back Saquon Barkley, Mike Tomlin’s were on Kenneth Gainwell.

Gainwell only managed about 20 yards on the ground and another 40 through the air, but that was enough for him to do his damage to the Steeelers defense.

Enough for Mike Tomlin to bring him to Pittsburgh to play alongside Jaylen Warren. The Steelers gave Warren a 2-year contract extension last summer, signaling he might finally become the “feature back” after watching three years of “Sludge Ball” behind Najee Harris.

  • What followed next presents an interesting study in the contrast between perception and reality.

As the Steelers offense struggled to find its footing, fans complained, with increasing intensity, about Kenneth Gainwell gaining snaps at Warren’s expense.

  • Alas the numbers tell a different story.
  • Gainwell averaged 6.7 carries per game to Warren’s 13.

Had the Steelers won consistently, no one would have complained, validating Chuck Noll’s, assertion that questions like “Why don’t you throw to the tight end?” translate to “Why don’t you win?”

Kenneth Gainwell acted as a jack of all trades in Arthur Smith’s 2025 Steelers offense, playing as sort of a modern-day Rodney Carter, a name Generation X Steelers fans might recall.

Need to fake the Tush Push on 4th and 1? Feign like you’re giving it to Connor Heyward and toss it to Gainwell instead who’ll run it for 55 yards.

 

Players generally win MVP wards because they dominate so thoroughly, their performance is indispensable to the team’s success. Think back to Franco Harris’, Jerome Bettis’ or Le’Veon Bell’s MVP seasons for clear examples.

  • Kenneth Gainwell authored a different kind of MVP campaign.

He made slow, steady contributions to the offense that grew as the season progressed.

His efforts, 537 yards rushing and 486 yards receiving with 8 total touchdowns, aren’t best measured in quantity, but rather quality.

Gainwell was the most consistent player on a struggling offense. He delivered when coaches called his number, and those little contributions more often than not had a big part defining the difference between wins and losses.

The Case for the Steelers Re-Signing Kenneth Gainwell

There are a lot of reasons why the Steelers Killer Bees era disappointed, but one that many miss is that piss-poor backfield depth sabotaged Mike Tomlin’s teams in the playoffs for 3 straight years.

Kenneth Gainwell brought the Steelers something they’ve struggled to find: A true number 2 running back who complements the starter, steps in when needed, and makes a difference when he has the ball in his hands.

Spencer Anderson, Kenneth Gainwell, Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs Vikings, Steelers vs Vikings Dublin, Ireland

Spencer Anderson celebrates with Kenneth Gainwell. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

His best play of the season illustrates this. He ran 55 yards on the fake tush push in Chicago, but didn’t score. Jaylen Warren did one play later, highlighting the 1-2 punch the tandem brings Pittsburgh.

Mike McCarthy’s offense will differ in important ways, but the value a true RB No. 2 provides remains indespensable.

Other NFL teams certainly took note of Gainwell’s MVP season and he won’t be an under the radar signing. But he’s also not the type of back that anyone thinks will or should “reset the market.”

He’s someone the Steelers can and should resign.

The Case Against the Steelers Re-Signing Kenneth Gainwell

Yes, Kenneth Gainwell was the best and most consistent player on the Steelers offense. And that says a lot more about how bad that offense was than it does about how good Gainwell is.

Gainwell is a “nice to have” and was a great pickup on a veteran minimum contract, but are you really going to give a legit 2nd contract, one with real guaranteed money, to a backup running back who didn’t even crack 900 all-purpose yards?

Please.

Aaron Rodgers was right when he said that the Steelers offense sort of resembled the Island of Misfit toys. Gainwell was one of those. Yes, he’s a legit role player in a productive, varsity NFL offense – but the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t fielded one of those since what? 2018?

Sure the Steelers have salary cap space to spare, but they doesn’t mean they should waste it on a guy like Gainwell when they’ve got Kaleb Johnson waiting in the wings.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Kenneth Gainwell

Just because Kenneth Gainwell was the MVP last year doesn’t mean the Steelers will bend over backwards to bring him back.

  • There’s precedent in Pittsburgh for doing the exact opposite.

Quarterback Neil O’Donnell MVP honors during the Steelers 1995 season. When O’Donnell became a free agent after Super Bowl XXX, Pittsburgh made him an offer, but he declined to get into a bidding war with the New York Jets. Seven years later, Kordell Stewart won the team MVP award in 2001, yet found himself benched permanently in favor of Tommy Maddox in 2002.

At the NFL Scouting Combine Omar Khan confirmed that the Steelers have started negotiations with Gainwell, but if they haven’t signed him by this point, they won’t before free agency starts.

The Steelers will make him an offer they think is fair, allow him to gauge interest from the rest of the NFL, and won’t go beyond their original number. The Steelers value Gainwell’s services. We’ll soon find out if the rest of the NFL values them more.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Was the Steelers 2025 Offseason Really That Unprecedented?

Posted on by Standard Reply

The Steelers 2025 off season will soon end as the team converges at St. Vincents for training camp.

  • My, what a long strange trip it’s been.

Yes, the trip has been strange enough at times that the conventional wisdom heading into Latrobe is “These are not your father’s Pittsburgh Steelers” or “The Steelers Way as we know it is over.”

  • But should we accept the conventional wisdom at face value?

To be sure, there has been no shortage of personnel turnover since the Ravens ridiculed the Steelers in the playoffs. That’s certain.

But strip away the hyperbole and the social media-induced hype and you’ll see much of change we’ve seen is firmly grounded in franchise precedent.

Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, Steelers training camp, St. Vincents

The Steelers Brain Trust @ St. Vincents. Photo Credit:Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports, via Yahoo! Sports

Stripping Down the D.K. Metcalf Trade

Strip the Situation to the Studs – Pittsburgh invests a premium pick in a skill player. He plays well. He makes an expensive veteran expendable. Alas, he has issues. So the Steelers send a 2nd round to the NFC and bring in a pedigreed player while shipping the former premium pick out.

Sounds familiar, right?

Good. Because it should. Except we’re not talking about how D.K. Metcalf and George Pickens came and went to Pittsburgh, but about the Bam Morris to Jerome Bettis switch out in the spring of 1996.

Jerome Bettis, Alan Faneca, Dewayne Robertson, Steelers vs Jets, Steelers history vs Jets

Jerome Bettis hurdles guard Alan Faneca evading Dewayne Robertson in the Steelers 2004 AFC Divisional playoff win. Photo Credit: Matt Freed, Post-Gazette

Yes, there are differences. Morris had legal problems; Pickens has maturity issues. The Steelers cut Morris. They traded George Pickens. They also didn’t fork over a ton of money to Bettis until after the 1996 season, whereas they handed Metcalf a check as he walked through the door.

Fair enough. But the template Omar Khan followed looks a lot like the one Tom Donahoe left behind.

Distilling the “Sleep Walking Through the 2025 Draft” Ditty

Distilling this Ditty Down to Its Core Details – Despite a desperate need at quarterback, Pittsburgh passed on multiple signal callers, waiting until day three to address the position, and opting instead to double-dip on defensive line.

OK. The heckles from the peanut gallery condemning the Steelers blueprint for their 2025 Draft class have largely come from the national media. But it serves to debunk the myth that this off-season was somehow “unSteelers-like.”

In January the Baltimore Ravens knee-capped a once-proud defense with 299 yards on the ground.

And Omar Khan responded in his third draft just as Kevin Colbert did in his second draft after the 2000 Steelers had similarly been embarrassed on Sunday Night Football by Fred Taylor: By beefing the defensive line.

Colbert passed on Drew Brees and drafted Casey Hampton (and Kendrell Bell) instead. Khan took Derrick Harmon.

Yes, a long-term solution at quarterback remains a glaring need for the Steelers. But in refusing to reach, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan stuck with franchise precedent.

After passing on Dan Marino in 1983, the Steelers really didn’t have a shot at another franchise quarterback until Brees in 2001*  But more importantly, they always resisted the urge to reach for one (see the non-draft of Chad Pennington in 2000.)

*Unless you count passing on Steve Young in the 1985 Supplemental Draft or maybe Brett Favre in the 1991 Draft.)

Oh, And About the Steelers Quarterback Situation… 

Breaking the Story Down to Its Bare Bones: The Steelers had a young signal caller who was reaching unrestricted free agency for the first time. They wanted him back. They made him an offer. The New York Jets offered more. The Steelers declined to begin a bidding war.  Instead, they opted to go with a quarterback room that consisted of a veteran journeyman, a 6th round pick and a Wild Card nearing one of the endpoints of his career timeline.

That about describes what happened, doesn’t it?

Neil O'Donnell, Barry Foster

Yes it does. It is exactly how the Steelers quarterback situation unfolded in 1996 after Super Bowl XXX. They made Neil O’Donnell an offer. The Jets offered him more. The Steelers let him walk and instead turned to Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller (a 6th round pick) and Kordell Stewart.

  • Of course the analogy’s imperfect.

Tomzack, Miller and Stewart were part of the 1995 Steelers. Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Aaron Rodgers were not Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. While the Tomzack-Rudolph comparison holds water pretty well, Miller had 2 years and appearances in 3 NFL games, whereas Howard’s a rookie.

  • But the Kordell-Rodgers parallel holds up better than you think.

Kordell knew how to make headlines. So does Rodgers. Kordell had just played his first year. Rodgers has basically said this is his last. Kordell was a wild card that could go either way for the Steelers in 1996, just as Rodgers is now.

“Oh, but none of the QBs in 1996 caused the angst that Rodgers caused,” the chorus protests!

Angst for who?

Did Pittsburgh panic when Justin Fields priority boarded for New York? Did start a bidding war? Did they throw a contract at Russell Wilson after he visited the Browns and the Giants? Did they sacrifice future drafts to get Jaxson Dart? Did they reach for Shedeur Sanders?

No, they didn’t.

The Steelers had a plan at quarterback. And when that plan didn’t unfold as expected, they remained patient, refused to panic and, arguably, got the best quarterback available this off-season. And they’ll pay him 21.8 million less than the Browns are paying Deshaun Watson this year.

Its almost hard not to picture Mike Tomlin laughing to himself as he watched the social media outbursts that erupted as each day pass without Aaron Rodgers signing.

Putting the Steelers 2025 Off Season in Perspective

The Steelers 2025 off-season certainly had its share of surprises. And it is certain that neither Omar Khan nor anyone else on the South Side had a WWTDD? (as in What Would Tom Donahoe Do?) moment this spring.

But if you look at the principles that guided the Steelers braintrust through it all, you’ll see that they’re the same ones that the franchise has followed since Dan Rooney assumed control in the mid-60s: Try to field the best team possible for the coming season without sacrificing their ability to compete in future seasons.

  • Now, will their strategy succeed?

Its almost time to hit the blocking sleds and St. Vincents and start finding out!

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Justin Fields: A “Bridge Quarterback” for the Steelers? Or Something More?

Posted on by Standard Reply

The quarterback reclamation project is to football is the roommate switch was to Seinfeld:

  • Everyone wants to do it, but it’s nearly impossible to pull off.

The Steelers have a rich, if uncelebrated, quarterback reclamation history. Chuck Noll tried with David Woodley and Todd Blackledge without success. In Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch, Bill Cowher and Kevin Colbert fared a bit better, but with Kent Graham not so much.

Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin took flyers on Zach Mettenberger, Paxton Lynch and Dwayne Haskins to no avail.

Last year, Omar Khan and Tomlin took another flyer on Justin Fields and now must decide whether they want try to extend his stay in Pittsburgh.

Justin Fields, Steelers vs Radiers

Justin Fields rushes for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Photo Credit: AP via Tribune-Review

Capsule Profile of Justin Fields’ Career with the Steelers

Justin Fields arrived in Pittsburgh on March 16th 2025 capping off a remarkable 4-day stretch that saw the Steelers sign Russell Wilson, let Mason Rudolph leave for Tennessee and send Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. While Mike Tomlin promised an open competition, everyone knew that Fields was penciled in at QB No. 2.

However, a calf injury to Russell Wilson on the first day at St. Vincents opened the door for Fields to get extensive work with the first team. He started the first preseason game, but took a back seat to Wilson for the second two, and was set to enter the season as Wilson’s back up.

Then Wilson aggravated his calf again, so Fields began the season as the Steelers starting quarterback. Fields won his first 3 starts, lost his next two before rebounding to win his 6th, bringing his mark as a starter to 4-2.

Fields’ role as a change-up quarterback never evolved as he ran 7 times and threw twice after his benching. He saw action in the wins over Baltimore, Washington and Cincinnati and in losses to Cleveland and Philadelphia as well as the playoff ridiculing vs the Ravens disaster.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Justin Fields

Sam Darnold. Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith and, to go back a generation, Drew Brees. These are all quarterbacks that needed more time to develop than the teams that drafted them were willing to give them. (Side question: Who exactly in Cleveland had the bright idea to push Baker Mayfield out?)

  • Justin Fields played the best football of his career in Pittsburgh.

He raised his pass completion percentage, reduced his interceptions, evaded sacks and improved his passer rating compared to what he’d done in Chicago. And he didn’t exactly have a world-class group of receivers to target, nor did he benefit from a strong offensive line, neither did he have an effective running game.

Fields proved himself to be a dynamic threat, running for as many touchdowns as he threw for. Arthur Smith favors him over Russell Wilson. Fields is only 26. Although Jalen Hurts Super Bowl MVP performance might force Pittsburgh to pay a little more, he can and should still be resigned at a reasonable, “Prove It” contract.

Finally, Justin Fields managed his benching with a maturity beyond his years (contrast that with Kenny Picket….)

At a minimum, Justin Fields should be a serviceable “bridge quarterback” for the Steelers with a chance to be much, much more.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Justin Fields

4-2 sounds good and in the NFL is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

But let’s be realistic: Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith kept the training wheels on for Fields. Sure, he only threw one pick, but that’s because he was bending over backwards to play it safe. Case in point, he averaged below 200 yards passing per game.

Justin Fields, Justin Fields Bad Snap, Steelers vs Colts

Justin Fields is sacked after an errant 4th quarter snap. Photo Credit: CBS47 and KSEE24

Sure, Fields can improve and win. But even with the right weapons around him, is he ever going to be a quarterback who can develop beyond the 8, 9 or 10 wins and then one-and-done in the playoffs bubble? His six fumbles and abortive 7 yard run when he needed 8 against the Ravens suggests he lacks basic instincts for the game.

  • As the 2024 playoffs proved, the age of mobile quarterbacks has arrived.

But in that light, the base-case scenario is that Justin Fields develops into the next Jalen Hurts. The more realistic projection sees him becoming the next Kordell Stewart.

Do the Steelers really want to go down that road again?

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Justin Fields

This Curtain’s Call is a mirror image of Russell Wilson’s – the Steelers decision on Justin Fields will tell us as much about how they see themselves as it does how they see Justin Fields.

If the Steelers really think they have the players on the roster now to bag Lombardi Number 7 in 2025 or 2026, then they should sign Russell Wilson (provided his contract demands are reasonable.) If their analysis of their own roster is a bit more sober, then Justin Fields must be their man.

In the short term, Fields certainly has a lower floor than Wilson, but there’s a chance that he has a higher ceiling than Wilson in the longer term.

 

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Disagree with Art Rooney II But Don’t Distort his Decisions

Posted on by Standard Reply

Yesterday I took Steelers President Art Rooney II to the woodshed for comments he made in his 1-1 with WTAE’s Ashley Liotus. Today I’ll flip the script and defend his back.

Rooney has taken a lot of heat for seemingly taking the Steelers 8-year playoff drought in stride and, most of all, for his steadfast support of head coach Mike Tomlin.

  • Much of that criticism is justified.

That justification does not, however extend to inventing facts to distort the historical context in which Rooney is making his decision.

Dan Rooney, Art Rooney II

The late Dan Rooney with his son Art Rooney II. Photo Credit: SteelersWire.com

Mike Tomlin in the Bullseye

There are a lot of reasons to find fault with Mike Tomlin. No head coach is perfect. Chuck Noll spent much of the ‘80s refusing to use the shotgun or throw to the tight end. His inability to communicate with Art Rooney Jr. transformed the NFL’s best draft organization a dysfunctional one.

The Steelers 8-year playoff victory drought suffered under Mike Tomlin’s watch has been well documented. There’s no need to recount the legion stats reveal how and why the Steelers have lost those playoff games.

  • But these losses should be considered individually, not collectively.
  • And the most recent loss is the one that’s most damming.

The Baltimore Ravens ridiculed the Steelers defense in the AFC Wild card.

That’s worrying on multiple levels.

By bringing together T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cam Heyward, Patrick Queen and Joey Porter Jr. the Steelers have bet big that their defense can compete and defeat the Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jacksons, Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen’s that dominate the NFL today.

  • At Christmas and again in the playoffs, two elite quarterbacks humiliated the defense.

That calls into question the basic operating philosophy which Mike Tomlin has used to guide the franchise. It says here that Art Rooney II is far better qualified to judge Mike Tomlin’s fitness to continue to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers than I am.

It also says here that commentators have every right to question Art II’s judgment.

Disagreement ≠ License to Distort Facts

While it’s the press’s job to disagree with Art Rooney II and question is stewardship of one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, they are not entitled invent their own facts.

  • Yet, this is what’s happening.

Tim Benz’s recent article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review provides a perfect example. After assailing Art Rooney II for being “paralyzed by fear when it comes to making a change because it’d be shattering the family-ownership tradition of never firing a coach since Chuck Noll was hired in 1969” engages in creative history.

Benz asserts:

However, Noll was certainly eased out by Rooney’s father, Dan, after the 1991 season. And Rooney’s dad also put a little more heat on Bill Cowher after three straight playoff misses from 1998-2000 than Tomlin has ever felt during this drought.

Viewed in that light, Art Rooney II really casts a far smaller shadow than his father Dan Rooney did. Doesn’t it?

That’s certainly how Benz wants you to see Art II. Unfortunately he’s wrong.

Chuck Noll, Chuck Noll St. Vincents, Steelers practice no numbers

Chuck Noll at St. Vincents cerca 1991. Photo Credit: Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

Let’s start with Chuck Noll in 1991. He’s how Dan Rooney describes it in his 2007 autobiography,

At the end of the 1991 season, Chuck told me it was time for him to retire. At first I was surprised. He’d been our coach for twenty-three years. That’s a lifetime in the NFL. As far as I was concerned, the job was his for as long as he wanted it. I wasn’t happy, but I understood his thinking, and in that end I think he made the right decision to leave when he did.

In Ed Bouchette’s 1993 book Dawn of a New Steel Age, Dan Rooney told him, “I wanted him back. Definitely.” Bouchette’s book makes clear that a lot of nuance accompanied Rooney’s statement, but nothing to support Noll being “eased out.”

  • Still skeptical? Still believe Benz?

If you don’t accept Dan Rooney’s words, maybe you’ll accept those of Noll’s wife and son. In the book His Life’s Work and the documentary A Football Life: Chuck Noll, they both share Noll’s private revelation made in the middle of the 1991 season that “’We have a Super Bowl team. I’m just too tired.’”

  • If anything, Chuck Noll eased himself out.

Let’s shift to the dance between Dan Rooney and Bill Cowher.

For those unaware, Bill Cowher’s 1998 Steelers finished 7-9 losing their last 5. They finished 1999 6-10, losing 6 of their last 7 games. The 2000 Steelers finished 9-7, but missed the playoffs.

  • Benz boasts that Dan Rooney held Bill Cowher’s feet to the fire.

Except he didn’t. After Kordell Stewart faltered during 1998, the Steelers extended his contract. The end to the 1999 season was ugly, far uglier than anything seen during the Tomlin era. Rooney responded by firing Director of Football Operations Tom Donahoe.

  • Cowher and his entire staff returned.

And when that staff failed to return the Steelers to the playoffs for a third straight year, what did Dan do? He extended Cowher’s contract. Just as Rooney extended Cowher’s contract after the 2003 Steelers finished 6-10.

If that’s supposed a boss holding his employee’s “feet to the fire” then where do I sign up?

Bill Cowher, Dan Rooney, Art Rooney II, Super Bowl XL, Steelers vs Seahawks, One for the Thumb, Lombardi Trophy

Bill Cowher hands Dan Rooney the Lombardi Trophy. Photo Credit: AP, via Tribune-Review

Time will tell whether or not Rooney’s continued faith in Tomlin becomes another example of “The Steelers Way” in action or whether it reveals that it has run amok.

  • In the meantime, there are plenty of legitimate criticisms to be made of both Tomlin and Rooney.

But suggesting that Rooney’s support for Tomlin is out character for either the franchise or the family is simply wrong.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Losing Streak in Philly Continues: Eagles Beat Steelers 27-13

Posted on by Standard Reply

The eleventh time is apparently not the charm. The Steelers went to Philadelphia and dropped a 27-13 decision to the Eagles, bringing the Black and Gold’s win tally there to 0-11 since 1965.

Going into this game the Eagles offered a unique measuring stick to gauge the team’s progress since the drubbing the Steelers suffered in Philadelphia a little over two years ago.

  • Today, the Eagles won because they out-executed the Steelers end-to-end.

But does that mean Pittsburgh hasn’t made any progress? No, fortunately it does not. Despite the loss, the Steelers did show that they’re making progress. However, within that progress there are as many reasons for caution as there are for hope.

Najee Harris, Steelers vs Eagles, Najee Harris fumble Steelers Eagles

Najee Harris fumbles. Photo Credit: SteelersWire.com

It’s Execution, (or Lack Thereof) My Dear Watson

The Eagles brought a 9-game winning streak into the game. They were at home, in a place where the Steelers have struggled. They were favorites for a reason.

Still, it was said the Steelers had a “puncher’s chance.” Multiple times the Steelers had chances to expand their foothold against the Eagles only to falter.

In less than a minute, the Steelers had created and squandered a chance to get ahead of an opponent that was clearly in control of the game. But that didn’t seem to matter, as Danny Smith’s special teams struck back quickly.

  • Mark Robinson forced a fumble on the punt which Nick Herbig recovered
  • The Steelers now had the ball at Philadelphia’s 11
  • Najee Harris ripped off a 7 yard run on the next play
  • Only to have it negated by an unsportsman like call against Darnell Washington
  • That brought up 2nd and 19 instead of 2nd and 3 at the 4
  • Two incompletions later Chris Boswell was kicking a field goal

Sure. We can complain that Washington’s penalty should have been off set. It was not. And the reality is that the Steelers had two fumbles inside of one minute and could only turn those into 3 points.

  • Arguably, these weren’t the Steelers most damaging misfires.

The defense opened the second half by forcing a field goal, watching a Montravius Adams penalty give the Eagles a second shot, only to force another field goal.

  • It took three plays for the Steelers to reach the Eagles’ 26-yard line, only to fumble.
  • The Eagles turned that into a touchdown.
  • The Steelers started the ensuing drive strong, only to scuttle it with a Zach Frazier penalty

Thanks to the penalty the Steelers had a 1st and 21, lost a yard on a pass to Cordarrelle Patterson and punted away their last chance to punch their way into this contest.

The Bad: Execution is Elementary for Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles were the better team in this game and that was evident from the outset.

Jalen Hurts started this game on fire. HE completed 12 of his first 13 passes and finished the evening with 290 yards on 25 completions with two touchdowns.

  • The Eagles converted 10 of 17 third downs
  • They also converted 1 of 1 4th down attempts
  • A.J. Brown had over 100 yards receiving
  • As did DeVonta Smith
  • The Eagles dominated time of possession by almost 20 minutes

To drive that final point home, after the Steelers scuttled their final drive with the Zach Frazier penalty Philadelphia got the ball with 10 and a half minutes and never gave it back.

The fireworks in Philly weren’t limited to the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles defense forced 4 three and outs by the Steelers offense, won the battle at the line of scrimmage, and not surprisingly, held them 3 of 10 on third downs

The Good: Some Progress for Pittsburgh

This was the worst game the Steelers have played in 2024 but, despite that, they’ve improved since their last trip to Philadelphia in 2022.

  • Russell Wilson was only sacked twice, as opposed to 6 sacks for Kenny Pickett in ‘22
  • A.J. Brown’s longest catch was for 21 yards
  • His shortest touchdown was for 27 yards in 2022
  • The Steelers held Saquon Barkley to 3.4 yards – his season average is just under 6
  • T.J. Watt sacked Hurts twice and Alex Highsmith got to him once

And while there’s no doubt that the Steelers offense is struggling without George Pickens, credit Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson for engineering a crafty drive (Ben Skowronek for 17 yards on first down – we all saw that coming) that finished with a phenomenal Pat Freiermuth combat touchdown catch.

Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs Eagles

Pat Freiermuth makes a combat touchdown catch. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

The duo was looking to do the same with the flea flicker to Calvin Austin hookup that started the second half drive that ended in the fumble.

Needed: A Running Game

If the Steelers have made some progress when measured against elite competition, they clearly remain very far from where they want to be: Russell Wilson may have supplanted Kordell Stewart as the last Steelers quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in Philadelphia, but Mike Nixon still has a win there that continues to elude Mike Tomlin.

There are many reasons for that, but the biggest and perhaps the least obvious reason is that the team cannot establish the run.

The Eagles were successful with their short passing game because they forced the Steelers to respect the run.

  • The Steelers couldn’t command reciprocal respect.

And as a result, Corliss Waitman had another strong outing as a punter. The good news is that, despite that, the Steelers were only a couple-of-three plays away from giving the Eagles a run for their money.

But until Arthur Smith can establish some consistency on the ground, this offense will remain too dependent on parlor tricks to seriously compete with true Super Bowl contenders.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Last Win in Philly Gave Mike Nixon 15 Minutes of Fame

Posted on by Standard Reply

Sunday December 15th, Mike Tomlin will attempt something that neither Bill Austin, nor Chuck Noll nor Bill Cowher ever did:

  • Lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory on the road in Philadelphia.

While Philly fans are loyal, there’s no question that when it comes to Pennsylvania’s two football teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the Keystone State’s 800-pound gorilla. The Steelers lead the Lombardi count 6 to 1 and have appeared in the Super Bowl 8 times compared to 3.

And of course the Steelers lead the Eagles in other measures such as games won since the NFL-AFL merger, division titles, playoff appearances, wins etc. And the Steelers count on a nationwide, no, global fan base.

  • That’s great. But the Eagles OWN the Steelers when they play in Philly.

The last time the Steelers won a game in Philadelphia was at Franklin Field on Sunday, October 24, 1965 during Mike Nixon’s lone season as coach. 21,602 days have passed since the Steelers clocked that milestone, in case you really, really want to know.

The Steelers are 0-10 in at Philadelphia since 1965, but it isn’t just their 59 year losing streak in the City of Brotherly Love:

  • Bad things happen when the Steelers play in Philly.

In 1997 alone, a trip to Philadelphia marked the end of Greg Lloyd’s Steelers career. Heck, the last time the Steelers quarterback threw touchdown pass in Philly was when Kordell Stewart connected with Will Blackwell. (The drubbing the Steelers suffered in Philadelphia 2022 saw Chase Claypool throw a TD to Derek Watt, but Claypool isn’t a QB.)

Much Has Changed Since the Steelers Last Win in Philly

A lot has changed since Steelers last win in the City of Brotherly Love.

Their last win came 360 days before my older sister was born (she’s a Ravens fan, but we still love her just the same) so suffice to say I have no memory. And although my parents were newlyweds living in Pittsburgh in 1965, they’re not much for sports so its no use asking them.

  • But thanks to the Magic of Google Newspaper Archives, we can glimpse of what it was like then.

In 1965, man on the moon was more fiction than science. In fact, the headline of October 25th Pittsburgh Press tells us that the Gemini Mission has been Scrubbed as Agenda Fails. The Post-Gazette led with Gemini story too. Except the Post-Gazette tells us Gemini Launching, Space Docking a ‘Go.’

The first Gemini Space rendezvous occurred later that December, but it was supposed to happen in October. (The lesson then, as it is now, is that you need to read beyond the headlines.)

Just below that story, the Post Gazette tells us that UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson is off to Rhodesia for talks with the white settler government who was vying for independence. “Rhodesia” is now best known (at least in Argentina) as a chocolate bar, and the country in question is Zimbabwe.

The Pittsburgh Press devotes about a 1/3 of its front page to Vietnam coverage, and talks about the record low 25- degree temperature Pittsburgh experienced that weekend. It also informs us that the Civic Arena turned its first profit for the first time since it opened in 1961.

Digging into the Post-Gazette you see that Giant Eagle is selling Roast Pork Butt for 49 cents per pound. The same add tells us that a 9 oz package of Scallops would set you back 89 cents.

Not to be out done, A&P is selling “Long Bologna” for 49 cents a pound and Jane Parker Large Apple Pie for 39 cents (normally it would have cost 49 cents, the ad assures us). In between the two adds, you learn that you could have bought a Polaroid Swinger Camera for $19.95.

Yes, times have changed. But has enough changed for the Steelers to recapture some of that 1965 magic?

Mikey Nixon’s 15 Minutes of Fame

Art Rooney Sr. was notoriously bad at hiring head coaches. Yet even he knew Mike Nixon wasn’t the man for the job. After Dan Rooney accepted/forced Buddy Parker’s resignation during the 1965 preseason, Art Rooney reportedly called Nixon, told him he was going to offer him the job but encouraged him to reject it because he wasn’t ready.

Nixon ignored The Chief’s advice, accepted the job and then preceded to lose his first five games as Steelers head coach. Game six brought the Steelers to Philly, and thus began Mike Nixon’s 15 Minutes of Fame.

  • The Steelers beat the Eagles that day, 20 to 14.
Jim Bradshaw,

1960’s Steelers safety Jim Bradshaw. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

But by the look of the box score, it was an UGLY win. Quarterback Bill Nelsen went 6 of 16 for 79 yards. Running back Mike Lind also got 16 carries, managing 30 yards, but he did catch 2 passes for 11 yards including a touchdown.

The highlight of the day, and one would presume the season, came in the 2nd quarter when safety Jim Bradshaw returned an interception 82 yards for a touchdown, which was one of 3 picks for a total of 101 yards.

The Steelers would win again the next week 22 to 13 over the Dallas Cowboys back at Pitt Stadium. So Mike Nixon can hang his hat on the fact that he’s one of the very few head coaches who went undefeated against Tom Landry during his career.

Alas, after beating Landry, Mike Nixon’s Steelers lost their next 7 games finishing the season 2-12, and Nixon got fired.

Nixon did enough to impress Eagles coach Joe Kuharich, who hired him as an assistant coach, giving Nixon three years of gainful employment before he faded into a footnote in Steelers history.

  • Can Mike Tomlin repeat Mike Nixon’s success in Philly?

He faces long odds. The Eagles take a 9 game winning streak into this game, and look to be a lock for berth in the NFC Championship.

But Russell Wilson is 4-0 playing in Philadelphia, including a playoff win. And I’ll wager Russell Wilson will pass for more than 79 yards and Najee Harris will run for more than 30 (well, he’d better.)

Who knows? Maybe Fitzpatrick can stir up a little “Minkah Magic” and produce an 82 yard pick six. If he can, the Steelers stand a strong chance of taking an 11-3 record into their next game against the Ravens in Baltimore.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Won’t Use Justin Fields as a Modern Day “Slash.” That’s OK.

Posted on by Standard Reply

What’s next for Justin Fields and the Steelers?

Fields heads into the Cleveland Browns visit to Acrisure Stadium having finally executed a game-changing play with his run and slide to set up the victory formation in the win at Cincinnati.

  • As they say, the third time’s the charm.
Justin Fields, Steelers vs Bengals

Justin Fields slides to seal the win. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

But that’s the second time the Steelers have used Fields in that fashion to close out a game and one has to wonder how successful the Steelers will be if they keep going to that well.

After hearing talk of how rotating Fields in and out with Russell Wilson was disrupting the offense following the loss to the Browns, yours truly had a mind to write something reminding everyone that even Kordell Stewart took time to become “Slash” back in 1995.

That desire only intensified after Ben Roethlisberger’s suggestion that Arthur Smith start using Fields as a wide receiver.

  • Alas, if desire to write abounded, time did not.

So the “Chill Out about Justin Fields Steelers Nation, ‘Slash’ Didn’t Become Slash’ in a Day” article never saw light. And the football universe has reminded me time and time again, sometimes NOT having time to develop an idea into an article can be your best friend.

On December 1st a reader asked why the Steelers weren’t using Justin Fields as a “Slash,” and Labriola explained that Kordell Stewart’s status as a 4th string quarterback is what allowed him to become “Slash” in the first place.

  • That’s a small, but decidedly non-trivial detail.

When the Steelers drafted Stewart in 1995, Neil O’Donnell and Mike Tomczak were entrenched as QB’s 1 and 2, and fans were already referring to Jim Miller as “Our Future” thanks to his play in the 1994 preseason.

Kordell Stewart, Kordell Stewart Slash, Steelers vs Jaguars

Kordell Stewart lines of up his first NFL carry. “Slash” was about to be born. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

A few injuries at St. Vincents that summer created an opening at wide receiver during training camp, with Stewart filing in at wide out. When the 1995 regular season started, the Steelers kept 4 quarterbacks. (What a wise move – in the season opener O’Donnell, Tomcazk AND Miller all saw action – and this was AFTER losing Rod Woodson.)

But Kordell Stewart didn’t dress or play until week 7, when he ran a few plays as a decoy wide out in a Thursday Night Loss to Cincinnati, he got carries the next week in a win over Jacksonville, the following week he got his first catch in Chicago, and then a week later against Cleveland he threw his first pass and the “Slash” phenomenon helped lead the Steelers to Super Bowl XXX kicked into full gear.

After Neil O’Donnell left in free agency the next year Stewart was unable to win the starting job, and began Steelers 1996 season in a toned down “Slash” role. But as the leaves changed colors and the temperature dropped, Stewart passed Miller on the depth chart.

And at that moment, Bill Cowher ended Kordell’s days as Slash, citing his need to be ready to take over the offense at a moment’s notice.

  • Which is the exact same place that Justin Fields finds himself today.

Fields has already shown he be a weapon in this offense. To be truly dynamic, Arthur Smith needs to establish him as a true double threat throwing the ball. But sending Justin Fields out running pass routes just isn’t realistic.

Sending Russell Wilson down field as O’Donnell would occasionally (and humorously) do in 1995 would be outright foolish.

So while Justin Fields can do some damage as a spot QB, he’ll never be a true “Slash” like the one we saw in days of lore. And that’s OK.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.