Steel City Blitz
Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Victory Monday.
If you came here looking for my postgame observations, there won’t be any. My son plays college soccer and ironically enough he had games in Western Pennsylvania Friday and Sunday. I was able to watch some of the first half and I caught the rest of it on the radio during the long drive home. I was able to sit down and watch late last night so I have a pretty good grasp of how things transpired in the Steelers’ 34-32 win over the Jets. Let’s get to it.
The two biggest additions to this team were Aaron Rodgers and D.K. Metcalf. Both had massive impacts on the game. Rodgers had four touchdown passes without a turnover and Metcalf had four catches for 83 yards. Rodgers was sacked four times and hit at least another six times but his experience was invaluable in this one. Metcalf displayed the ability to gain yards after the catch which is something the Steelers have sorely needed.
Jalen Ramsey, Chuck Clark and Juan Thornhill all played important roles in yesterday’s win but the focus here is Ramsey. Not only does he get under the skin of opposing players but he makes plays too. None bigger than his crushing hit on Garrett Wilson to jar the ball loose thus ending the Jet’s chances.
The offensive line has shown zero improvement in my opinion. Rodgers was harassed way too much in the game and as for the rushing attack? 53 yards on 20 carries isn’t going to win you many games. Pat Meyer has to be on thin ice. This unit has not gotten any better under him. And then there’s the run defense… 182 yards on39 carries is just awful. That’s just under five yards per carry. There’s no way that Derrick Harmon’s absence meant that much. Keeanu Benton struggled and Cam Heyward looked out of shape to be honest. It wasn’t just them though. The linebackers had their share of struggles as well.
While the running game certainly had its struggles, Arthur Smith should be credited for the passing game. It was evident that he and Rodgers spent time putting things together because there were plenty of positives. From the play-action to the route concepts, there were plenty of good things going on.
The fact of the matter is that Chris Boswell will miss a kick every now and then. That should only make us appreciate him more. A 60-yarder with one minute left for the win? Unreal. And it would have been good from 65. He’s made so many big kicks in his career… we should never take him for granted.
Here is both our Season Preview Podcast and our SCB Staff Predictions for the 2025 Season!
The Steelers didn’t collect...
