Behind the Steel Curtain
And just like that, the Steelers are back in business in the AFC North’s first place spot after a nail-biting 27-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens. As always, there are plenty of takeaways to be had:
The week leading up to Steelers-Ravens was full of a doomsday attitude — from both sides, believe it or not— but especially on Pittsburgh’s end of things. I wrote my fair share of articles with a dismal tone. That Buffalo loss was a rough one.
And no, Sunday’s win over Baltimore doesn’t change much if anything for me. The Steelers remain who we thought they were. Beating an also struggling 6-6 team is what they have always been capable of.
But in a week where it seemed some wanted to press the “fast forward to offseason” button from “Madden,” Sunday’s game served as a reminder that every win — even in an underwhelming season — has something to enjoy.
For much of the game, quarterback Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock with his play, even going as far back as the “discount double check” celebration. The Steelers had several chunk plays on offense. And in classic Steelers-Ravens fashion, there were big hits, some controversy, and a nail-biting final quarter that went down to the last play.
Needless to say, I was entertained by this one.
The game mattered, as well. The winner, Pittsburgh, now enters the home stretch of the season with the AFC North lead. And Baltimore might have an even tougher slate of games remaining (Steelers play Miami, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore; Ravens have Cincinnati, New England, Green Bay, Pittsburgh).
Let’s not talk about how the AFC North winner will fare once the postseason begins, but Sunday’s battle for that spot was a good one. And I won’t be surprised if the Week 18 rematch has even bigger stakes.
I highly doubt I’ve written my last gripe this season regarding Mike Tomlin, the Steelers’ quarterback play, or the roster construction. But in the oft-used words of Pittsburgh’s head coach: “Keep watching.”
Aaron Rodgers remembered how to throw deep on Sunday, and lo and behold, the Steelers’ trade for one of the league’s better speed threats suddenly looks alright again.
Look, George Pickens’ explosion into one of the NFL’s most productive offensive weapons this season has made the job very difficult for those of us who still defend Pittsburgh’s decision to move on. But making things worse was that D.K. Metcalf — Pickens’ Steelers replacement, essentially — wasn’t putting up anything close to those numbers in Pittsburgh.
Metcalf, even when you take the questionable quarterback play he’s had to deal with out of the picture, still has struggled to live up to his $30 million per year contract. His hands are inconsistent for a WR1 and there’s always a moment of uncertainty when a pass is headed his way.
But against a...
