Tag Archives: Steelers vs. Vikings

Heart & Hustle: Steelers Mastering 2 Intangibles Exiting Bye Week

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The Steelers win over the Vikings last week in Dublin did more than just give the franchise its first 3-1 start in five years: At allowed two players to showcase talents that fall well outside of the “measurables.”

To be sure, there were plenty of encouraging “measurables” on display, from D.K. Metcalf’s monster touchdown, to Nick Herbig’s not-so-quiet campaign to Wally Pipp Alex Highsmith, to big plays by T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward.

  • Those players, along with several others, authored great performances.

But the two that give this scribe hope came from Broderick Jones and Peyton Wilson.

Broderick Jones, Steelers vs Vikings, Steelers vs Vikings Dublin, Aaron Rogers, Isaac Seumalo

Broadrick Jones during the Steelers win in Dublin. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Both men had earned their fair share of criticism during the first 3 weeks of the season and for good reason.  And both men improved their performances, as measured by the stat sheet.

Broderick Jones’ came just before the 2 minute warning of the first half.

Given that this drive ended in a blocked Chris Boswell field goal its easy to overlook this play. And superficial observers could counter by pointing out that Lady Luck shone her favor on Broderick Jones as Aaron Rodgers’ fumble literally bounced into his lap.

But that would be the cynical take.

Broderick Jones was able to capitalize on that luck because he was in the right place, and he was in the right place because he was running to the ball. You’ll note that this is the same trait that Chuck Noll complimented Franco Harris for immediately after the Immaculate Reception.

No one of course is over-looking Payton Wilson’s big moment, capping off what had already been a big day for him. But the focus here on this play falls a bit off the mark. Everyone’s commenting on how his 22.48 m.p.h speed is the fastest and NFL linebacker has been clocked at since 2017.

Fair enough. How many linebackers can outrun a high-pedigree wide receiver has a head start? Not many.

But, as observed in the Steelers Report Card, Wilson’s run down of Jordan Addison says as much about his heart and passion for the game as it does about his athleticism. How many thought that Addison was taking it to the house as soon as he caught it?

  • That’s everyone in the stadium and everyone who watched on TV.

Well, everyone except Payton Wilson. Making a play like that doesn’t just require speed, it requires want-to, hunger for victory and above all belief that you can make a difference.

Hustle and heart alone don’t translate into wins, championships or All Pro careers. If they did, Merril Hoge would be candidate for membership in the Pro Football Hall of Fame instead of the Steelers Hall of Honor.

But Jones’ and Wilson’s displays of focus and desire are a refreshing contrast to the the way we saw Diontae Johnson and George Pickens mail it in at critical moments in years’ past.

And that’s a positive change as the Steelers exit the bye week.

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Steelers Report Card for Win over Vikings – 4 Leaf Clover Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher who extended his summer vacation deep into September, here is the Steelers Report Card for the win over the Vikings in Dublin, Ireland.

D.K. Metcalf, Steelers vs Vikings, Steelers vs Vikings Dublin, Ireland,

D.K. Metcalf explodes for an 80 yard touchdown. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers was 18 of 22 for 200 yards and a touchdown. Rodgers protected the ball and was generally on target, although a miss to Ben Skowronek could have put the game away for good. Grade: A-Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Kenneith Gainwell made his surprise start for the Steelers and delivered a cool 99 yards on 19 carries with 2 touchdowns. He also had 6 grabs for 35 yards. Kaleb Johnson had 22 yards on 6 carries and seemed to gain confidence as he ran. Connor Heyward had 2 yards on a Tush Push carry. Grade: A-

Tight Ends
Darnell Washington led the unit with 3 catches for 20 yards and provided excellent run blocking support. Jonnu Smith had 2 catches for 6 yards. Grade: C+

Wide Receivers
D.K. Metcalf delivered a dominating first half performance. His four non-scoring catches were impactful. After watching his 80 touchdown no one would blame Brian Flores for quadruple covering him. After that it was a quiet day for the wide outs, with Calvin Austin getting two grabs for 13 yards and Scotty Miller and Skowronek coming up for naught on their lone targets. Austin deserves more credit for the block on Metcalf’s touchdown than he’s getting. Grade: B

Offensive Line
It is tempting to look at Aaron Rodgers relatively clean day and Gainwell 5.2 yards per-carry average and proclaim that the offensive line has arrived. But as the good book assures us, we must resist temptation. Yes, the offensive line had its best outing of the season. But the 4th and goal failure as well as the inability to run out the clock bring the grade down. Grade: B-

Defensive Line
Keeanu Benton had a sack and a half, Cameron Heyward and Derrick Harmon both got their hands on passes that were intercepted. The Vikings could not run and were forced to pass. Grade: B+

Linebackers
If anyone had any doubt about how who the leading ass kickers are on this team, the Vikings will assure them that it’s the Steelers linebacking Corps. Patrick Queen set the tone with a sack on third and nine that forced a field goal. T.J. Watt had a sack, set up another Nick Herbig sack and an interception. Cole Holcomb was solid in stuffing the run. Herbig had another half sack with Benton, and forced a critical intentional grounding play. The true star of the unit was Payton Wilson who responded to a demotion by leading the team in tackles, meeting players at the point of attack. And his run down of Jordan Addison showed as much about his passion and commitment to winning as his 22.48 m.p.h. speed revealed about his athleticism. Grade: A+

Payton Wilson, Jordan Addison, Steelers vs. Vikings, Steelers vs. Vikings Dublin Ireland

Payton Wilson runs down Jordan Addison. Photo Credit: Clutch Points.com

Secondary
The fact that someone allowed Addison to slip through the secondary might seem damning enough when it comes to issuing grades. And had the final score differed, maybe it would. But overall the secondary played well, with DeShon Elliott’s return making a notable impact. The Steelers forced the Vikings offense to go one-dimensional and the secondary won more battles than it lost – and that’s not counting two turnovers taken away by replay. Grade: C+

Special Teams
The Steelers return coverage was solid as were the return game. It is easy to criticize Corliss Waitman for booming his final punt through the end zone, but he may have been following instructions. Special teams did give up a blocked kick late in the first half that costing three points that would have made a big difference at the end. Grade: C

Coaching
For the first time in a long, long time, the Steeler fielded a fluid, balanced NFL offense, rushing just three more times than they passed. Those ratios are nice, but what’s more important is that the Steelers did so effectively.

Arthur Smith’s men ran the ball when they needed to run it, and passed the ball with economy when necessary. And they did it against a defense ranks in the top ten in multiple categories.

On the flip side, some who might discount the work that Teryl Austin’s defense did against an offense playing against a retread quarterback and an injury-ravaged offensive line. But no one will do that here. This offense scored 48 points the week before, and you don’t do that in the NFL by accident.

  • The Steelers defense shut down the run and defended the pass effectively.

And while the coverage lapse certainly cannot be overlooked, it is also a correctable mistake.

Seemingly an eternity ago the Steelers traveled to London and got walloped against an inferior Vikings team. It was one of the worst efforts of the Tomlin era. Depending on who you believe, either the Steelers tried to come in early or made their own choice. Regardless, Mike Tomlin proactively managed the travel, all while keeping his team focused on winning the game instead of getting caught up in the hoopla over the first NFL game in Ireland.

Finally, it says here that Tomlin made a mistake in not kicking a late field goal, but in doing so he did what he’s always done – give his players a chance win the game. And they did. Albeit with considerably more drama than desired. Grade: B+

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.come

Unsung Hero Award
In the pre-digital era, his name wouldn’t even appear on a stat sheet. Even today, you must dig deep to find it. The Steelers ran the ball far more effectively and far more consistently against the Vikings than they have against any team this season. This player only logged 36% of the snaps, but as the 6th tackle you’d have to figure he was a big part of the change and for that Spencer Anderson wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers win over the Vikings in Dublin.

 

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Steelers Beat Vikings 24-21 in NFL’s 1st Game in Ireland

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The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-21, winning the NFL’s first regular-season game in Dublin, Ireland and improving their record to 3-1 heading into the bye week.

  • The game went down to the wire.
  • The score was certainly closer than it should have been. But…
  • Don’t let the final score fool you.

And while many will find reasons to fret about Minnesota’s late rally, the overarching takeaway for Pittsburgh remains positive: The Steelers won because they flipped the script that they’d been writing for themselves during the season’s first three weeks.

Steelers vs Vikings, Steelers Dublin, Jordan Mason, Nick Herbig, Cam Heyward

Jordan Mason going no where as Steelers gang-tackle. Photo Credit: Imgn Images, via Tribune-Review

Turning the Narrative on Its Head

As my wife and I were in Europe working and then celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary, I missed the Steelers win against the Jets and loss to the Seahawks. And what I was able to gleam during week three through the obstructed view at Rome’s La Botticella confirmed what I’d been reading about the team thus far:

  • The run defense in general and Keeanu Benton specifically was soft.
  • The offensive line could neither protect Aaron Rodgers nor open running lanes.
  • Arthur Smith stubbornly tried to force the ball to a too small and ill-suited Kenneth Gainwell.
  • The defense’s failure on fundamentals and reliance on turnovers was unsustainable.
  • Payton Wilson was in over his head and failing to make the year-two leap.
  • D.K. Metcalf was little more than a “Nice to have” on offense.

Well, well. Things look a little different this morning, don’t they?

OK. It is only one game, against a re-tread quarterback no less, but does anyone think that scribes like Jim Wexell who’ve defied the naysayers by insisting “…things are slowly coming together for this team” look a little smarter? See for yourself:

  • The Vikings totaled 70 yards rushing and Keeanu Benton had a sack and a half.
  • Aaron Rodgers was sacked only twice and touched 3 other times.
  • Kenneth Gainwell rushed for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns
  • The defense held the Vikings to 4-14 on third down
  • Payton Wilson made several exception stops even before running downfield to save a touchdown

As for DK Metcalf? Well, take a look for yourselves:

…I’d say D.K. Metcalf was worth a 2nd round pick.

Getting the Job Done in The Trenches

Let’s make one thing clear: Both Steelers lines remain works in progress.

  • The offensive line played effectively.
  • But effectiveness should not be confused with dominance.

Had the Steelers risen to the latter level, then Gainwell’s attempt on 4th and goal would have been successful and/or the Steelers would have been able to run out the clock on their last possession. They didn’t do either, so things got more interesting than they should have.

But both Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson had room to run, and the Steelers did convert a 4th down with their own variant of the Tush Push.

Rodgers got sacked twice, but generally didn’t not play under duress, although Arthur Smith’s play calling was again designed to get rid of the ball quickly.

  • The wise observer should never let perfection obscure progress, at least not in week 4 in the NFL.

The defensive line played at a higher level than its offensive counterpart. The knock on Keeanu Benton has been the he lacks the size to be a true nose tackle. And his signature plays were sacks in a season where his run stuffing ability was under question.

Fair enough. But Benton played a good game, and wasn’t a liability against the run as he’d been in week’s past.

Yes, the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line entered the game ailing from injuries and lost players during the game. The Steelers defense won the battle of scrimmage against inferior talent – as they should.

Splash Players Make Splashes, But Defense Does Not Live by the Sword

The Steelers defense has been making splash plays this season, and they continued to do so against the Vikings.

But unlike one week ago against the Patriots, the Steelers defense used sacks and takeaways to complement sound defensive play as opposed to substituting for it. Indeed, the Steelers defense forced Vikings to go one-dimensional, as Carson Wentz threw 46 passes.

Begging Wentz, a career choke artist, to beat you is a sound strategy. For most of the afternoon, he seemed incapable of doing so. Until he almost did.

(1 Error – 2 Kicks)+ 2 Great Linebacking Plays = Photo Finish

The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry. Scouts comb the country evaluating talent 365 days a year. Assistant coaches work 70-80 hour weeks. Teams will do the smallest things (i.e. Renegade) to get a competitive edge.

  • Yet, in the National Football League, a couple-of-three plays can swing — or almost swing — a game

Against the Vikings in two of those plays involved Chris Boswell. The first was a blocked kick at the end of the first half that took 3 points off the board. The second was the field goal Mike Tomlin opted not to try late in the 4th quarter only to see Gainwell get 2 when he needed 3 on 4th down.

  • It says here Tomlin should have taken the points.

But its in Tomlin’s character to be bold on this situations. Besides, he trusted his defense to bail him out of needed be. They did, although looking only at the box score would lead you to think otherwise.

  • The defense, of course gave up an 81 yard pass.
  • Someone made a horrendous coverage error.
  • But Payton Wilson responded with the play of the game in running Jordan Addison down.

Wilson not only saved a touchdown, but forced Minnesota to burn 1 minute off of the clock to close the deal. The Steelers of course were unable to kill the clock after recovering the onsides kick, and it says here that Tomlin did the right thing in punting, and that decision may have looked quite different had Corliss Waitman pinned Minnesota down at the five.

But he didn’t. He gave them a touchback and that gave Minnesota 6 more plays. They only made 12 yards and frankly, were never a real threat to get into field goal range thanks to Nick Herbig forcing an intentional grounding call.

Mike Tomlin certainly has no shortage of critics, but the network executives gotta love him because his teams keep things close. But that’s not the salient fact here this morning. His teams do keep games closer than they need to be, but more often than not, they find ways to win them.

And a Steelers win is how the NFL’s first regular season game in Dublin will do down in the history books. Yes, Dan Rooney is smiling from above.

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Steelers Key to Success vs Vikings in Dublin? Avoid Jet Lag

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The NFL released its 2025 schedule last week proving once again the league retains its power as a marketing juggernaut.

A generation ago baseball, the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals would have driven North America’s sports talk. By transforming the schedule release into a media event, the NFL has shifted the focus to football.

The Steelers  finally learned the date and opponent of their long-awaited game in Dublin.

This will be the first regular season NFL game played in Ireland, but it will be the Steelers second trip to the Emerald Isle and their second international game. Prior to the 1997 season, the Steelers played a preseason game in Ireland against the Bears, and in 2013 the Steelers played the Minnesota Vikings in London.

The Steelers’ London date with the Vikings came was on September 29th in the 4th game of the season. The Steelers will face the Vikings in Dublin on September 28th in week four of the season.

So things are lining up nicely for history symmetry buffs…. Perhaps a little too nicely.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers vs Vikings, Steelers vs Vikings London, Mike Adams

1 of 5 Minnesota Vikings sacks of Ben Roethlisberger in London. Photo Credit: Matt Dunham, AP via NY Daily News

When asked by Missi Matthews if the Steelers planned on doing anything differently for its second international trip, Art Rooney II told her he didn’t expect it and that the Steelers travel plans would probably remain the same.

That’s a problem.

Because the Steelers left Pittsburgh the Thursday before the game, arrived on Friday, practiced on Saturday, and then promptly lost the battle of 0-3 teams in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the 34-27 final score suggested.

Before that game, Dejan Kovacevic, then with the Tribune Review sounded the alarm about jet lag. In his podcast this week, he confirmed that several players, including LaMarr Woodley, looked completely out of it in their Friday pre-game press conference.

For those of you who’ve never made a trans-Atlantic flight, I can assure you it typically takes 2 if not 3 days to acclimate. The Vikings, wise to this reality, came in early.

Was it just the jet lag?

It is hard to say. The 2013 Steelers were in salary cap purgatory. They arrived at St. Vincents that summer with precarious depth. Attrition forced four players on injured reserve before the Steelers even played their 4th preseason game.

They started their season opener with RB Number 1 (Le’Veon Bell) in street clothes. RB Number 2, Isaac Redman was starting with a career-ending injury. RB Number 3 Jonathan Dwyer, had been cut. TE’s Number 3 and 4, David Johnson and David Paulson, were TE number 1 and TE number 2 thanks to injuries to Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth.

That’s how the 2013 Steelers began game 1. They then promptly went about proving Murphy’s law:

Starting center lost. Backup tackle doing double duty as tight end shifts over to play center. For the first time in his life. All within 8 plays of the season. 3 players lost for the year on opening day. Some guy named Kion Wilson manning the inside linebacker position and, get this, calling the defensive plays.

Oh, yeah, and Cortez Allen also got injured in the 2013 season opener (although he was back for London) but by the time Kion Wilson had played his last NFL snaps on defense and was got cut season’s end.

By week 3 in a road game against Chicago the Steelers offensive line was so bad that it prompted Dale Lolley, then with the Observer-Reporter, to make the tweet of the year:

The offensive line managed to get worse on the other side of the Atlantic – that was perhaps the only game when I saw Ben Roethlisberger look lost in the face of a fierce pass rush.

  • So maybe it wasn’t just the jet lag.

But the bottom line is, the NFL is hyper competitive, and teams need every edge they can get. Or at least avoid yielding opponents an edge by giving yourself jet lag.

Moral of the story?

Mike Tomlin would do well to get the Steelers to Dublin early as he can.

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Steelers Report Card for Loss to Vikings: Follow the Right Leader Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a disappointed teacher who hopes his students learn from this by following the right leader, here is the Steelers Report Card for the Thursday Night Football failed comeback against the Vikings.

Dalvin Cook, Terrell Edmunds, Joe Schobert, Vikings vs Steelers

Not good when your safety and inside linebacker are looking at the running back’s number…. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger took some vicious hits and endured high, erratic snaps to lead a rally that put 28 points on the board in 17 minutes. In doing so he went 28 of 40 for 3 touchdowns and one interception for 308 yards. His final pass was perhaps one of the best he’s ever thrown. Grade: A

Running Backs
Early on their was so little room to run that Troy Aikman credited Najee Harris with the “best 3 yard run in history.” But Harris was excellent on the night, going 94 yards on 20 carries and catching two 3 passes, while running and catching a touchdown. Benny Snell had one carry for -2 yards. Grade: A

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth caught 2 passes for 32 yards plus a two point conversion, but dropped an incredibly difficult one on the game’s final play. The tight ends could do more in the blocking game. Grade: CSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson bailed on a throw that got intercepted. But he atoned by catching a field-flipping 37 yard pass. Later, he had incredible presence of mind to get out of bounds to set up the final throw. Such efforts were necessary due to his counter part. Chase Claypool’s taunting penalty was bad. The catches he made on the final drive were fantastic. But his post-4th down conversion pose was inexcusable, costing the Steelers at least 1 play. Ray-Ray McCloud caught 6 of 8 balls thrown to him. Grade: C+

Offensive Line
Yes, the line protected Ben better in the second half. Yes, it opened up hole in the running game. But pass protection the Steelers suffered in the first half hasn’t been so bad, since… The Steelers loss to the Vikings in London. Better play in garbage time neither excuses nor negates the offensive line getting manhandled during the game’s first 40 minutes. Grade: F

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward played well, everyone else did not. Grade: F

Linebackers
Dalvin Cook ran for 205 yards on 27 carries averaging 7.6 yards per pop; with a separated shoulder. Alexander Mattison averaged 4.5 yards per carry. Kirk Cousins converted a key 3rd down running. Unacceptable. Grade: F

Secondary
Believe it or not, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds actually stopped Cook from doing even more damage and Minkah came up big on several third downs. Cam Sutton got burned on the Vikings last touchdown pass. Ahkello Witherspoon had two interceptions and knocked away 3 passes. Grade: B-

Special Teams
Chris Boswell’s missed extra point might be a footnote, but it is a footnote that put the Steelers in the position of needing two-point conversions to get ahead once something got going. Pressley Harvin III had a few OK punts, but laid several eggs. Kick coverage was OK as were Ray-Ray McCloud’s returns. Special teams could have been a positive difference. It wasn’t. Grade: D

Coaching
Getting a team ready to play on the road on Thursday night is hard. It is even harder after an intense, emotional win over a division rival. And it says here that the Steeler core problems lie with talent, rather than coaching or schemes.

  • But it is also clear that Pittsburgh was not prepared to face the Minnesota Vikings.

Not even close. Matt Canada’s offense was steamrolled by the Vikings defense for the game’s first 40 minutes or so. They punted 5 times and turned over the ball before putting a single point on the board.

  • Pittsburgh’s run defense is a picture of pure disaster.

At first, efforts against the run were erratic. Then teams exploited them a little more. Then that exploitation became systematic. Against the Vikings it became choric as Dalvin Cook ran like some combination of Barry Sanders, Jim Brown and Walter Payton in their primes.

Yes, the Steelers defense made key stops in the 2nd half, but as Mike Tomlin acknowledged, that is easier to do against a team has a 29 point lead.

James Washington, Steelers vs Vikings

James Washington catches a bomb. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

The Steelers showed a lot of heart in the second half rally. But we can’t and won’t credit to coaches for that. The men were responding to Ben Roethlisberger’s leadership, and it is up to the coaches to ensure they follow his example, and not that of the Chase Claypools on the team. Grade: F

Unsung Hero Award
This man’s season and in fact entire Steelers career has been a bit of a disappointment. But if you look at the Steelers rally, it started with a 29 yard pass that bring Pittsburgh into Minnesota territory. Then he drew a taunting penalty in a 2 yard loss. Then the player had an 8 yard pass that set the Steelers up at the 2. Later he caught a 30 yard touchdown pass. And for those efforts, James Washington win Unsung Hero honors for the loss to Minnesota.

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Manic-Depressive: Steelers Lose to Vikings 36-28, But Failed Comeback Proves Pittsburgh’s Pride

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It was fun while it lasted. The Steelers responded to their dramatic, comeback win over the Ravens with a 36 to 28 loss to Minnesota Vikings, their most manic depressive performance of a bipolar season. After the game Mike Tomlin minced no words, confirming:

“Just to be blunt, we’re getting manhandled on both sides of the ball… We were JV again tonight.”

Mike Tomlin may have never spoken truer words. But Tomlin’s remarks don’t capture the whole truth, and that’s something to remember.

Ben Roethlisberger, Harrison Smith, Steelers vs Vikings

Harrison Smith sacks Ben Roethlisberger. Photo Credit: AP via Tribune-Review

Worst Half of Football in the Tomlin Era? Yep.

Have the Steelers ever played a worse half of football under Mike Tomlin? I argue that the first half vs Minnesota was worse than the putrid 31-3 first half against the Bengals. At least Chris Boswell made his field goal attempt against Cincinnati and Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted a pass late in the second quarter.

  • The Steelers did NOTHING well in the first half against Minnesota.

You want a stat to drive this home? Dalvin Cook averaged 16.7 yards per carry on his first seven carries. Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 4 times in the first half and 5 times in the games first 32 minutes. But those numbers don’t do justice to the piss poorness of the Steelers offensive line. This does:

Arguably Eric Kendricks’ sack of Roethlisberger was worse, but you get the point. Joe Mixon’s 165 yards against the Steelers? Rather pedestrian compared to Davlin Cook’s 205 yards, 29 of which he logged on an untouched trip to the end zone.

Steelers Show Heart in 2nd Half Rally

Say what you want about the Steelers first half. You’ll get no argument here. Nor will you find here any talk of “moral victories” because of what transpired next. But also be clear:
The Steelers showed incredible heart in the second half.

Football is brutal. Chuck Noll once described training camp as the process of acclimating yourself to using your body as a projectile. That’s unnatural. Such a sacrifice demands a reward.

  • That’s why it gets so easily to mail it in after hope is lost.

And that’s why Rocky Bleier and Ryan Clark’s words stung so sharply. In the comeback against the Ravens, the Steelers seemed to earn some redemption, but that redemption appeared a mere mirage for the 42 minutes of the Vikings game.

Then a field flipping catch by James Washington, stout running by Najee Harris and an idiotic taunting penalty by Kris Boyd moved the Steelers into the Red Zone. Ben Roethlisberger and Najee Harris then hooked up to get the Steelers on the board. So, it was 7 to 29, window dressing had been added to the debacle.

  • It took one play for Ahkello Witherspoon to pry that window open a little bit, intercepting a deflected pass.

The Steelers moved down the field, but appeared to stall on 3rd and goal, only to have Minnesota commit pass interference. The Steelers got 3 more downs, but Najee Harris only needed one of those to score.

Thanks to deep penetration by Cam Heyward and some Minkah magic with a third down pass deflection, the Steelers forced a 3 and out. Roethlisberger responded with bombs to Diontae Johnson and James Washington in the end zone.

The two point conversion failed, and the Vikings answered with a quick touchdown. Minnesota forced a Steelers three and out. Ahkello Witherspoon struck again, this time returning a Kirk Cousins interception 41 yards. It took Ben Roethlisberger 1 play to hit Ray-Ray McCloud for a touchdown. Pat Freiermuth made the two-point conversion.

  • Pittsburgh forced a Minnesota punt giving Ben Roethlisberger 2:16 and no time outs to score.

Long passes to Chase Claypool and smart running by Diontae Johnson gave the Steelers one shot with 2 seconds left from the 12 yard line. Here’s what happened next:

  • Yes, Ben Roethlisberger did more than thread the proverbial needle.

In the end, it wasn’t enough thanks to some incredible play by the Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers failed to pull off an improbable comeback. The “almost comeback” doesn’t excuse their awful first half performance and likely cost them a shot at the playoffs.

But at the very least Pittsburgh proved it had not lost its pride.

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Steelers History vs Former Assistant Coaches Gives Context to Dick LeBeau vs. Todd Haley Matchup

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Tonight the Tennessee Titans come to town for Thursday Night Football. The real story and stakes of the game are in the outcome itself – the Steelers at 7-2 need to keep pace in the AFC race and can ill afford to drop a game to the 6-3 Tennessee Titans who’re leading their own AFC South division.

  • But of course the subtext behind this game is Dick LeBeau’s return to Heinz Field.

No matter how you look at it, Dick LeBeau vs Todd Haley, Dick LeBeau vs. Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler add a lot of intrigue to this game. With that in mind, we thought we’d look back to the Steelers history vs former assistant coaches.

While this list isn’t meant to be inclusive, it does highlight the Steelers record vs some of the franchise’s notable alumni.

Dick LeBeau, Todd Haley, Steelers history vs former assistant coaches

Dick LeBeau and Todd Haley in 2012. Photo Credit: Matt Freed, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

1979 – Super Bowl XIV – Noll Knows How to Beat Bud

January 20th, 1980 @ Rose Bowl
Pittsburgh 31, Los Angeles 19

The record will reflect that the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams was Ray Malavasi. But no one remembers that, because the subtext to this game was the chess match between Chuck Noll and his former defensive coordinator Bud Carson who was with the Rams.

  • Noll, as Art Rooney Jr. reports in Ruanaidh, informed his wife that “I know how to beat Bud.”

For a little more than four quarters it appeared Noll had erred. Then, facing 3rd and long deep in Pittsburgh territory, Noll ordered Terry Bradshaw to “Go for the big one!” Bradshaw launched 60-Prevent-Slot-Hook-And-Go to John Stallworth and 73 yards later the Steelers were ahead for good.

After the game, Carson complained that “All we needed to do was to stop John Stallworth.” Yep, Chuck knew how to beat Bud.

1989 – Bud Carson Gets His Revenge

September 10th, 1989 @ Three Rivers Stadium
Cleveland 51, Pittsburgh 0

Ten years later Bud Carson would FINALLY secure the head coaching job he’d longed for when he left Pittsburgh over a decade earlier. And this time it was with the Cleveland Browns. Fate would have Bud open against his former mentor on the road at Three Rivers Stadium.

The Steelers fumbled on their first possession and the Browns returned it for a touchdown. Things went downhill after that, in an afternoon that saw Bubby Brister catch his own pass.

People took the game as a sign that Chuck Noll was done. It wouldn’t happen right away, but boy would the 1989 Steelers prove a lot of people wrong.

1992 – Dungy Triumphs in His Pittsburgh Home Coming

December 20th, 1992 @ Three Rivers Stadium
Minnesota 6, Pittsburgh 3

Tony Dungy of course played for Chuck Noll, and Chuck Noll not only gave him his first NFL coaching job, but made him the NFL’s first African American coordinator. Dungy was seen as heir apparent to Noll in many circles. But, after the 1988 Steelers disastrous defense Dungy resigned rather than accept a demotion.

Ironically, Dungy took a job as Bill Cowher’s secondary coach in Kansas City, but by 1992 he was back as a defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. While the Steelers managed to get Barry Foster his 100 yards, they couldn’t get it into the end zone and Dungy won his first game back at Three Rivers Stadium.

1996 – Dom Doesn’t Dominate, But Spoils Kordell’s Parade

December 22nd, 1996 @ Ericsson Stadium
Carolina 18, Pittsburgh 14

It only took Dom Capers three years as a defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh to land his first head coaching job. And he’d face his former mentor, Bill Cowher in the final game 1996.

The game was meaningless for Pittsburgh, as its playoff seeding was locked, but Bill Cowher tried it out in an attempt to test drive his secret weapon – putting Kordell Stewart under center as the full time quarterback.

Stewart didn’t start the game, but was inserted midway through, and while he threw over a dozen incomplete passes, he eventually started connecting with his wide out and burned the entire Panthers defense with an 80 yard touchdown scramble. Stewart would come with in a dropped touchdown pass as time expired of leading a comeback.

1998 – Dungy Dominates in the “Crying Game”

December 13th, 1998 @ Raymond James Stadium
Tampa Bay 16, Pittsburgh 3

By 1998 the Kordell Stewart roller coaster had soared to tremendous heights and was now locked in a serious decline. Save for a few games in the middle of the year, Kordell Stewart had struggled for the entire season, and after the Thanksgiving Day Coin Toss Disaster had led and inept offensive effort against New England.

This followed a rainy game in which Bill Cowher replaced an in effected Kordell Stewart with Mike Tomczak, followed by Kordell confronting his coach, only to be seen on the bench crying, and THEN reinserted into the game.

2005 – Steelers Backups Spoil Mularkey’s Starters Playoff Hopes

January 2nd, 2005 @ Ralph Wilson Stadium
Pittsburgh 29, Buffalo 24

The story of the 2004 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers was of course rookie Ben Roethlisberger. But Big Ben sat this one at as the 2004 Steelers already had home field advantage locked up.

  • Not so for former Steelers offensive coordinator Inspector Gadget, aka Mike Mularkey’s Buffalo Bills, who went into the game with their playoff hopes alive.

Alas, they were hoping in vain. Tommy Maddox would start for the Steelers, and together with Fast Willie Parker, the Steelers backups would defeat the Bills and keep them out of the playoffs.

2007 – Whisenhunt & Warner Get Better of Roethlisberger

September 30th, 2007 @ University of Phoenix Stadium
Arizona 21, Pittsburgh 14

When Bill Cowher resigned as Steelers head coach, the question most minds was whether the Rooneys would hire Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm. Art II and Dan opted to do neither, and hired Mike Tomlin.

  • But that wasn’t the real story behind this matchup.

Ben Roethlisberger had made some seemingly disparaging comments about his former offensive coordinator, to the point where Mike Tomlin publicly admonished him that he should be excited “Simply because he’s playing a football game.”

Excited or not, Ken Whisenhunt platooned Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart to get the better of Roethlisberger in what would mark the first loss of the Mike Tomlin era.

2008 – Super Bowl XLIII – LeBeau Wins Chess Match with Whisenhunt

February 9th, 2009 @ Raymond James Stadium
Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23

The two sides would get a rematch less than 18 months later in Super Bowl XLIII. And by that time, all eyes were on the chess match between Dick LeBeau’s dominating 2008 Steelers defense and Ken Whisenhunt’s explosive offense featuring Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald.

While its true that last minute heroics from Ben Roehtlisberger and Santoino Holmes were needed to secure victory, those heorics were possible in part by Dick LeBeau’s defense in the form of the 99 yard pick six authored by James Harrison.

Note, that represented at least a 10 if not 14 point swing in the Steelers favor in a game decided by 4. So yes, Dick LeBeau won the chess match vs. Ken Whisenhunt.

2009 — Roethlisberger and Wallace over Green Bay, by a Nose

December 20th 2009 @ Heinz Field
Pittsburgh 37, Packers 36

By this point in time Dom Capers had had two unsuccessful runs as a head coach, but was back in the booth as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator. But the Zone Blitz defensive model that Capers and pioneered with Dick LeBeau (and Marv Lewis) in the early 1990’s in Pittsburgh had gained traction throughout the league.

And the Steelers and Packers entered this game with two of the league’s top defenses which is ironic, because there was no defense to speak of in this game. The Steelers inability to stop the Packers aerial attack was such that Mike Tomlin ordered an on-sides kick late in the 4th quarter with the Steelers holding a two point lead, conceding that  the Steelers coudln’t stop them.

The Steelers couldn’t but got the ball back, as Ben Roethlisberger marched 86 yards in 2 minutes to make the game-winning throw to Mike Wallace with just 3 seconds remaining.

2015 – Bruce Arians Foiled by Landry and Martavis

October 18th, 2015 @ Heinz Field
Pittsburgh 25, Arizona 13

The story of Bruce Arians, Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II is well known, perhaps too well known for its own good. Bruce Arians “retirement” can be measured in days, if not hours, and when he returned to Heinz Field to face his former team, he brought a 4-1 record, a stealer defense, and was viewed as a Super Bowl favorite.

  • The Steelers, in contrast, were quarterbacked by backup Mike Vick, where on their 4th place kicker and decided underdogs.

Things appeared to go from bad to worse in the second half, when a scrambling Michael Vick left the game with an injury. In came Landry Jones, and most fans felt this spelled doom. But, supported by Le’Veon Bell’s rushing, Landry Jones quickly led the Steelers to a touchdown when he connected with Martavis Bryant in the end zone.

Although the two point conversion pass to Antonio Brown would fail, the Steelers would tack on two more Chris Boswell field goals, and were clinging to an 18 to 15 point lead at the two minute warning, when on second and 8 Jones hit a short pass to Bryant over the middle. Here’s what happened next:

Bruce Arians expression says it all! The Steelers beat the Cardinals 25-13.

 

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Byrant & Heyward Lock in Dead Heat in Steelers-Vikings Poll

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There wasn’t alot of drama behind the Steelers-Vikings game ball voting, as it came down to a tale of two studs on each side of the ball.

Martavis Bryant, Cameron Heyward, Steelers vs Broncos,

Martavis Byrant high fives Cam Heyward in the Steelers 2016 playoff loss to Denver. Photo Credit: David Zalubowski, AP via Pro Football Weekly

Cameron Heyward and Martavis Bryant ended the poll deadlocked with 12 votes a piece.Steelers Vikings Game ball results, Martavis Bryant, Cameron Heyward

Credit the citizens of Steelers Nation for being smarter than the proverbial average bear on this one. Support for Martavis Bryant is obvious here, factor in the pass interference penalties and as Bryant’s 3 catch, 91 yard efforts in the Steelers win over the Vikings broaches the level of being dominant.

Things with Cam Heyward aren’t so clear. In an age when the fantasty football mentality dominates too many fans, Heyward’s effort against the Vikings looks rather ho hum, as it is absent “Splash” plays to speak of. But Heyward dominated against the Vikings, stopping several runs at the line of scrimmage, and disrupting their running game consistently by rerouting runners.

  • After that, referee Eddie Morelli was the next highest vote getter with four, followed by 3 for Chris Boswell.

Boswell scored 14 points in the game, giving the Steelers all but 3 of their margin of victory so its a tad bit surprising that he didn’t do better. Ben Roethlisberger also earned 3 votes as did Eli Rogers. Ryan Shazier polled two votes while Bud Dupree got one.

That’s a bit surprising. Tyler Matakevich had his second big special teams play in as many weeks while Vince Williams had a big game on the inside and helped cut off the middle of the field for the Vikings – Williams has come a long way since his first start in the disastrous London Loss to the Vikings.

Mike Hilton, who had a strong game, earned a write-in vote, as did James Harrison who didn’t take a snap. Thanks again to all how voted.

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Steelers Cameron Heyward vs Vikings = A Man Against Boys

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If you visit any online box score pertaining to the Steelers 26-9 Week 2 victory over the Vikings at Heinz Field on Sunday, star defensive end Cameron Heyward‘s stats that include six tackles may not stand out to you.

But if you had the pleasure to be in the stands at Heinz Field like I was, you knew Cam Heyward was simply the best defensive player on the field.

If you ever wanted to know how Pittsburgh’s defense, a unit that actually started to play better a season ago, after Cameron Heyward was lost for the rest of 2016 with a torn pectoral muscle, could have performed any better down the stretch, it would been with Heyward in the starting lineup dominating.

Cameron Heyward, Cam Heyward, Steelers vs Vikings, Steelers 2017 defensive line

Steelers Cameron Heyward vs Vikings was a men among boys @ Heinz Field. Photo Credit: USA Today Steelers Wire

In other words, just because the defense actually improved down-the-stretch during Pittsburgh’s nine-game winning-streak, doesn’t mean it couldn’t have done better.

That’s the thing about difference-makers:

  • You sometimes don’t know how much of a difference they can make until they’re back in the lineup doing  their thing.

And that brings me to the current state of the Steelers defensive line. Sure, it is still a fine unit with veteran Tyson Alualu filling in for an injured Stephon Tuitt and second-year man Javon Hargrave providing quality play, alongside Heyward’s dominance. Yes, L.T. Walton gained some valuable playing time a year ago as part of a rotation that had to make up for the loss of Heyward, and that valuable time should come in handy this year, when Walton has to do what he’s doing now, and that’s provide quality depth in Tuitt’s absence.

  • But what happens when Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave play an entire game together?

Thanks to injury, we haven’t seen that since the game against the Cowboys last November 13, when Heyward was lost for the year.

Can you just imagine how awe-inspiring this unit will be?

As a Steelers fan, I certainly can’t wait, but until Tuitt comes back, at least I have Heyward’s singular dominance to look forward to.

  • Again, if you weren’t at Heinz Field on Sunday, Cam Heyward’s box score does him no justice.

You really had to see that dominance for yourself.

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Key Positive from Steelers 26-9 Win over Vikings? Contributions from New & Unexpected Faces

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The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings 26-9 in their 2017 home opener in the franchise’s first game in the Steel City without Dan Rooney. Defeating any NFL opponent by a two-touchdown margin represents an important achievement.

But the overall outcome doesn’t change the fact that rustiness remains for the 2017 Steelers to shake off. Nonetheless, a week after their Above the Line but Below Par win over the Browns, the Steelers leave the Vikings game with one decidedly positive take away: The difference makers came from new faces and/or names we haven’t heard in a while.

Martavis Bryant, Steelers vs Vikings, Terence Newman

Martavis Bryant scores his first TD of the season against the Vikings. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Referee Eddie Morelli for MVP Anyone?

Steelers Nation entered the 2017 season with the expectation that the Black and Gold would dominate, particularly on offense with the return of the four Steelers Killer Bees, Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant.

A quick look at the statistics suggest the Steelers did just that:

  • They finished the game with a 14-point advantage
  • Pittsburgh dominated time of possession, 34:22 to 25:38
  • The Steelers closed the day with an almost 100 total yard advantage over the Vikings
  • Danny Smith’s special teams came up with another big play

All of those are positives indeed, but the truth is that twin pass interference penalties fueled the Steelers only two touchdown drives. The Steelers reached the Red Zone on two other occasions, but were forced to settle for Chis Boswell field goals both times, and the rest of the afternoon’s scoring for Pittsburgh came off of longer attempts made by Boswell.

  • Capitalizing on inopportune penalties is as important as executing on any the other fundamentals of football.

The Steelers did that, to their credit. But as the second half progressed, and Minnesota’s secondary stopped making such costly downfield gaffes, it was hard to escape feeling that, where it not for those two first half penalties, we would have been watching another afternoon where the Steelers need Chris Boswell to save the day as he did on the road against the Bengals and in the playoffs against the Chiefs.

  • That was understandable, perhaps even excusable last season when Ben Roethlisberger was throwing to his numbers 4, 5 and 6 wide receivers.

But 2017 was supposed to be different. Thus far, it has not been. It is easy to point the finger at Le’Veon Bell’s hold out, and he clearly hasn’t gotten back into the groove he was in a year ago. But to be fair to Bell, the Steelers run blocking hasn’t been as sharp as it was during the latter half of 2016.

Steelers Defense Rises to Occasion Against Vikings

While far from flawless, the play of the Steelers defense was far more consistent. To be certain, the Steelers didn’t have to face the hot hand of Sam Bradford, but Keith Butler has no choice over who unit plays, they can only respond.

And against Case Keenum, Butler’s boys responded in the affirmative:

  • T.J. Watt defended a pass, helping force a punt
  • Bud Dupree disrupted by getting his first sack of the season and defending another pass
  • Vince Williams helped end another drive late in the game with a sack
  • Cam Heyward and Artie Burns also dropped ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage
  • The Steelers held the Vikings to 0-3 on fourth down conversion attempts

To be clear, this wasn’t the type of Steel Curtain or Blitzburgh dominating performance of yesteryear. The Vikings did make it look a little too easy on their one scoring drive. But to be fair, save for that Minnesota touchdown series, the Steelers defense essentially shut down the Vikings ground attack.

Key Positive Take Away? New Faces Step up for Steelers

Two games into the 2017 season sees the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at 2-0, but both “Above the line” performances leave the feeling that the men in Black and Gold left a little something on the field, particularly on offense. That was true in the Steeles win over the Browns, and its is still true after their home win against the Vikings.

  • But the Steelers made some important strides this weekend.

A week ago, the story of the Steelers offense was the Ben Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown rampage through the Brown’s secondary (with assists from Jesse James in the Red Zone.) This week the Vikings managed to keep Brown contained at least until Ben Roethlisberger found a way to get Brown the ball in the second half.

  • But the Steelers showed that when that happens, Ben Roethlisberger and Martavis Byrant can and will make teams pay.

They did so twice, and both times the drives ended in touchdowns for the Steelers. And if the Steelers 50/50 performance in the Red Zone left a little to be desired, for the second straight week Todd Haley showed that he can still score touchdowns with his secondary weapons, with this week’s strike coming JuJu Smith-Schuster.

  • Against the Vikings, the Steelers defense told a similar, if not quite as dramatic story.

Did anyone notice the absence of Stephon Tuitt? No, and that’s because Tyson Alualu has stepped in and delivered. Likewise, everyone assumed that should something happen to T.J. Watt, James Harrison would step in. Word is that Watt suffered a groin injury, but it wasn’t Deebo off the bench, but Anthony Chickillo who came in on the right side.

  • Be honest, when the Vikings mounted their final shot at contesting the game’s outcome, you begged to see James Harrison in the game, didn’t you?

Yours truly certainly did. But the Steelers stuck with Anthony Chickillo and while Chickillo might not have made any Splash plays, the Steelers defense held the Vikings, and won the day.

Bill Cowher used to argue that the NFL season is akin to a 16-round fight. That’s an apt analogy (perhaps too apt given what we now know about CTE) except that, at least in September and October, there’s no such thing as a knockout punch.

The Steelers started 2017 2-0, they’ve done it without suffering any major injuries and they’ve gotten contributions from both familiar and new faces. Two games into the season, you can’t ask for much more than that.

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