Behind the Steel Curtain
It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
(From The Ringer’s Alex Kirshner): American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States exists on a separate political and moral plane from the rest of the world. The NFL has its own version of this idea, and it comes from Pittsburgh.
You—a football fan not living under a rock—have encountered what I call “Steelers exceptionalism” many times. It is the idea that the NFL franchise in Pittsburgh operates differently from every other team in the league. Not just differently, but in a more old-fashioned, blue-collar, even stoic manner that signals a general superiority over the league’s other 31 franchises. This complex emanates from the Rooney family that owns the team, and it courses through local and national media, fans, and even PR-savvy players who know exactly what the locals want to hear.
Nothing in this article is something that Steeler fans haven’t heard before from media talking heads or angry message board posts following a loss. But it’s a solid “state of the Steelers” piece from a national perspective that ponders whether or not Pittsburgh is still deserving of the mystique it’s built up for itself since its 1970s dynasty — or if it’s actively hurting the team today.
(From PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh): The New Orleans Saints have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Eku Leota, who was a standout in the preseason for the team. Leota was cut by the Steelers in the final wave of cut downs and he did not come back on the team’s practice squad.
Leota worked out for the Saints on Monday and clearly impressed enough to earn a practice squad spot. Leota routinely won one-on-ones with offensive tackles during the preseason even if he didn’t record a sack. He played well enough to earn a practice squad spot — just not with the Steelers, apparently.
(From Associated Press): By moving the touchback to the 35, the league projects that the return rate will rise to somewhere between 60% and 70%, with a similar increase in long returns, adding more excitement to the game.
The league also approved a small tweak to how blockers on the return team are allowed to line up in the setup zone that could lead to longer returns.
Teams returned just over 76% of kicks in the preseason, up from 70% in...
