Flavell's Five Thoughts: Steelers Took Last Week Personally
After a soul-crushing loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers came back with a one-score victory over the Carolina Panthers, 24-16.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett missed the game as he is still in concussion protocol. Mitch Trubisky got the chance to avenge his three-interception game last week and did so by not turning the ball over this week.
Trubisky was by no means great, but he did what he needed to do to win the football game.
The run defense stepped up after getting gashed last week and shut down any semblance of a run game the Panthers wanted to have.
The importance of the win feels watered down after essentially eliminating themselves from playoff contention last week, but there is still plenty to unpack from the game.
Run Defense Took Last Week Personally
The Ravens ran on the Steelers at will last week, most notably on the final drive in the fourth quarter with third-string quarterback Anthony Brown Jr. on the field. They had over 200 yards on the ground, an embarrassment for a Steelers defense.
How did they respond this week? 21 rushing yards allowed on 16 carries. Not bad.
Larry Ogunjobi had his best game as a Steeler, stuffing a handful of those runs at or behind the line. Chuba Hubbard had 10 yards on four carries. Dont’a Foreman averaged less than a yard per carry with nine yards on 10 totes. They were stuffed.
Sam Darnold isn’t going to win many games if he doesn’t have a supporting cast running game. The Steelers took the run game away from him and ensured that he was going to have to beat them on his own.
Steelers Run Game Continues to Trend Upwards
Continuity is a big factor in the performance of an offensive line. A young offensive line with a chance to grow together is a great plan that takes time to execute. That’s exactly the script this offensive line has taken this season.
The first six weeks or so were rough. Najee Harris was battling injuries. Fast forward to the 15th week of the regular season and the differences are night and day.
Najee Harris is finally healthy and he’s seeing the field better and looks like the guy the Steelers thought they were getting when they selected him in round one last season.
His backfield counterpart, Jaylen Warren, has taken his undrafted free agent status and turned into a legitimate running back in the NFL.
The bell cow Harris had 86 yards on the ground while Warren added another 38 and both scored touchdowns for the Steelers in this game. Mitch Trubisky snuck in for the other one as the Steelers’ run game accounted for all three of the team’s touchdowns Sunday.
The offensive line is opening holes for the running backs and getting the push that the Steelers haven’t had for a few seasons now. It’s an encouraging sign knowing that the majority of these guys are younger and can conceivably grow together for the next 3+ years.
Outside of the continued development of Kenny Pickett, the offensive line growth would seem to be the second most important storyline over the Steelers’ final three games.
Trubisky Did His Job
It seemed that the Steelers might just turn to Mason Rudolph for this weekend’s game against the Panthers with Pickett out. Instead, Tomlin rolled with Trubisky to the surprise of some people.
Trubisky wasn’t flashy. He never really is. The former second-overall pick is the perfect example of a game-managing quarterback that can win a game if the defense does its part.
Last week, three interceptions killed Trubisky. This week, he didn’t turn the ball over and the Steelers won despite his minimal 179 passing yards. The run game completed him well and helped him move the ball.
His longest completion was a 38-yarder to George Pickens on the sidelines, which was yet another highlight reel catch for the rookie out of Georgia.
With Pickett now clearly the starter and a potential $8 million in cap space that can be cleared by cutting ties with Trubisky after the season, this was possibly his last chance to catch on with another team next season. He proved to be exactly what he’s always been without doing any extra damage to that image.
Steelers Improved on Third Down, Red Zone Efficiency
All three of Trubisky’s interceptions occurred in the red zone last week. When the Steelers got to the red zone this week, they made it count despite playing a much worse team this week.
They even went on a 21-play drive out of the half that took almost the entire third quarter out of play for the Panthers. It was quite an impressive drive.
Another area the Steelers failed in last week was converting on third down. This Sunday, they were 75% (12-of-16) at converting their third downs. Those types of numbers go a long way in helping win games.
I don’t want to call the Steelers a bad football team because I don’t know if that’s the right word. They’re young and I think there’s been some improvement in many facets of the team that was a concern going into the year.
Little victories in categories like this add up to wins on the scoreboard. They won’t be going anywhere this year but it’s encouraging going into next season.
Freiermuth Shut Out, Johnson Shines
It’s been a coming-out type of year for Pat Freiermuth. He’s been one of the better tight ends in the league, and he’s only finishing up his second year. He’ll get paid in the next few years and looks to be a premier tight end for the foreseeable future.
Sunday, however, Freiermuth’s number was never called. Considering the Steelers’ penchant for short throws on offense, it was jarring to see him not even targeted. Tight ends just weren’t in the plan.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Diontae Johnson caught all ten of his targets for 98 yards and had one of his best games of the season.
Johnson currently has the most catches and most yards in the NFL for a player to not have a touchdown catch. Granted, the Steelers haven’t thrown many touchdowns this season, eight of them to be exact.
Johnson got a contract extension before the season. It’s a small bridge deal before he can hit free agency in a few years. For him not to have a touchdown this season is surely frustrating for all parties involved. He also took a dumb penalty when he celebrated over a defender after making a play.
Johnson is maddening but the talent is there…when he chooses to use it to the fullest extent.
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