Steelers Week 7 Reaction

 Lets go! I haven't had this much fun watching a Steelers game in years. 37 points!? The last time the Steelers scored 27 points was week 11 in 2021 in what was hilariously a loss to the Chargers in week 11. Nearly 3 straight years without a performance like this is both incredible and sad. A lot of controversy going into this one, which I think made the win that much more delicious. Lets get into it: 

QB Controversy

You have to start here! There was rumblings after the win last week that Russel Wilson would be taking over as the starter for this game. I, along with a lot of Steeler Nation, was not a fan of this move. Justin Fields had won 4 of his first 6 starts and while he wasn't tearing it up in the passing game, his ability to run the ball was a big weapon, especially in the redzone and on short yardage situations. In the first quarter, I was screaming at my TV thinking I was some all knowing football genius, Wilson looked slow, he wasn't hitting some easy passes and when the pass rush came he wasn't able to escape into a big scramble like Justin Fields had the last 6 weeks. Then Wilson showed why I am just a fan and not a coach.

From the second quarter onward, Wilson looked awesome. Something the broadcast remarked many times throughout the game is that Wilson throws a great contested deep ball. He has a great ability to get a lot of air under his passes which gives a good receiver time to adjust and make a play through traffic. The Steelers best weapon on offense, despite my disdain over the last few weeks, is George Pickens and his best skill is contested catches. Where Fields would sometimes find Pickens when he got open, Wilson showed an ability and willingness to throw Pickens a "go get it" ball a few times, and Pickens went and got it. A few of Pickens catches were very impressive requiring concentration and sheer physical ability to come down with the ball around a defender. From just this 1 game sample, it appeared that Wilson is more able to utilize the tools of Pickens, which as we saw really opens up the rest of the offense. 

It wasn't just contested deep balls to Pickens that impressed me, Wilson demonstrated his patented ability to navigate the pocket and create plays out of nothing. I will concede that there were a few times where it looked like there was a lane that Justin Fields would've busted through for a big run, but there were others where Wilson would make one defender miss then wisely find the checkdown to salvage a play. Again, just a 1 game sample but Wilson made it pretty clear that he is a more talented passer. While Fields has the physical advantage, Wilson reads the field better and gets more use out of the weapons he has. Fields has shown to the media that he has a good attitude about going to the bench. As long as Wilson plays the way he did after the first quarter yesterday, he might spend more time there. Steelers fans can feel good knowing there are 2 QBs in Pittsburgh who can get the job done now. 

George Pickens Apology 

Ok I am not fully apologizing, I still think Pickens has a lot of work to do on his maturity. I have spoken a lot about his displays the last few weeks and I still find them unacceptable. He does deserve his flowers in this one though. As I mentioned above, Pickens is awesome at making contested catches. While it's harder to get open playing on the outside, Pickens showed last night that he doesn't need to. It's pretty cool having the security blanket of a guy who can just pull a crazy catch out of the air when the play breaks down. 

Best part of yesterday was seeing Pickens pull down a TD in the red zone. I feel like all season I've been screaming for the Steelers to just throw it up high for George in the end zone and let him make a play. Wilson did just that tossing it up high in the corner and despite a defender being all over him, Pickens came down with the ball. 5 catches, 111 yards and a TD is the type of performance Steelers fans have been waiting for all season. If he plays like this every game, he can do all the immature nonsense he wants. 

I Was Wrong About Najee Harris

Once again I've proven why I am a fan and not a coach, Najee Harris is a baller and I was stupid for saying otherwise. Najee picked up where he left off last game in this one with multiple big angry runs, helping to set the tone for the Steelers offense. With Wilson making big plays in the passing game, it freed up Najee to break through some big runs against a defense with a lot more to worry about. Having backfield mate Jaylen Warren back to fully healthy is huge for Najee's game too. Warren comes in and changes the pace offering a slightly speedier look and giving Najee a blow for a few plays without dropping the level of play. 

Having Najee run like this makes everything flow so much better for the Steelers. Wilson was able to create some big plays off of play action with the defense now having to respect Harris. Over the course of the game, Najee's running style really wears down opposing defenses who have to bang into him all game long. It also really helps accentuate the strength of the defense, keeping them off the field for longer stretches and playing a big role in preserving leads. I was a big big hater of Najee Harris early in this season, he's really turned it around the last couple of weeks and I am happily eating my words. 

Shout out Beanie Bishop 

Steelers Reddit, like most sports social media, is a crazy place. The last few weeks undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop was getting a lot of hate online from Steelers fans. I just want to say, hating on an undrafted rookie is frankly insane. Poor play from an undrafted rookie is more on the GM for allowing the depth at a position to get that thin rather than the player. I digress. Beanie Bishop had his breakout performance in this one picking off Aaron Rodgers twice and coming 1 yard shy of a pick 6 on the second one. I am not going to sit here and pretend like I am capable of breaking down the play of a defensive back after watching the game on my couch, but like everyone else I notice interceptions. Beanie Bishop was a big reason the Steelers won this game and he deserves a shout out today. 

And that's all for today! Big win, something I've been saying surprisingly a lot so far this season. I went into this one pissed that we were going with Wilson and came out of it happy to have 2 QBs who can win. The Steelers defense makes big plays when they need it, the running game is clicking again and they're starting to find their stride with Pickens. Here's hoping the Ravens lose tonight so the Steelers can stand alone at the top of the division.