It was neither simple nor notably fairly,. But it was revealing, and whereas a few of what was revealed will engender confidence, there will likely be some that may create doubt. The significance of all or any of that will likely be left to every particular person to find out, however for the reason that NFL is a backside line enterprise and the underside line of Sunday’s train at Acrisure Stadium was Pittsburgh 27, Cleveland 14, what occurred deserves to be acknowledged as an accomplishment.
Now it is on to the following one.
But earlier than that is allowed to occur, the drama titled “Steelers vs. Browns, the rematch” will likely be dissected and rehashed and what-if’ed to loss of life. And how you find yourself feeling about these Steelers and what their 10-3 file says about them and their speedy future in all probability will not have modified from the way you felt about these issues after they have been 9-3.
Yes, skilled soccer as its performed on the NFL stage is a enterprise, and Coach Mike Tomlin tells everybody who works for him that “our enterprise is successful.” Yet you need to admit that its objective is leisure, and that leisure usually comes from attaching fashion factors and aesthetics to issues truly outlined solely by chilly, exhausting numbers. There is not any “committee” taking all of it in after which voting on which groups “have earned” the chance to compete for the large trophy. It’ll be contested in stadiums with scoreboards that may resolve who advances. This is the NFL in any case.
The Steelers awakened right now with a 10-3 file, as winners of seven of their final 8, and at 6-1 with Russell Wilson because the beginning quarterback. But now it is going to get actual. These subsequent three weeks could have three video games over a span of 11 days – beginning on Sunday, Dec. 15 and ending on Wednesday, Dec. 25 – towards three opponents that awakened right now a mixed 30-18 and as winners of 12 of their final 15.
Looking at it via the glass-half-full lens, the Steelers are getting top of the range quarterback play from Wilson, who has been displaying himself to be a man who will do big-time issues in crucial moments that may have an effect on video games. Against the Browns there was the opening possession of the second half the place he transformed a third-and-10 with a 21-yard shot to Pat Freiermuth down the center, after which on a second-and-6 from the Browns 10-yard line he executed a read-option sort play the place he had 3 choices to make: hand the ball to a working again, hold it and run across the finish, or press the nook and ship a fast go to a slanting-in-from-the-back-side receiver. Wilson made the learn, executed the fakes, and delivered precisely to Van Jefferson for a 10-yard landing.
Then on the following possession there have been back-to-back performs the place he transformed a third-and-6 with was a 20-yard shot down the sideline to Mike Williams and adopted with a landing go the place he moved the protection together with his eyes and delivered the ball to Freiermuth up the seam.
Of course, these touchdowns on consecutive possessions to begin the second half have been essential to take away the bitter style of going three-and-out in 4 of the primary 5 possessions within the first half. And in fact, among the points the offense was having within the first half may very well be traced to George Pickens turning up on Friday’s follow report as a restricted participant with a hamstring damage after which being inactive for Sunday’s recreation. Clearly a Pickens-less lineup was method much less threatening to the Browns secondary, and it took some time for the Steelers to come back upon an efficient work-around.
While all this was happening, the Steelers protection did sufficient good issues. The Browns punted 5 occasions, Keeanu Benton and James Pierre had interceptions, and Cam Heyward had 2 sacks. When there have been issues, they usually originated when QB Jameis Winston was in a position to duck exterior to keep away from the go rush after which make performs down the sphere. Lose include like that towards Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia subsequent Sunday, or towards Lamar Jackson in Baltimore the Saturday after that, or towards Patrick Mahomes on Christmas Day, which is the Wednesday after that, and 24 factors is not going to be practically sufficient.
What they’re is resilient, and what Tomlin works consistently to domesticate among the many gamers is a “why not me” philosophy on the subject of making game-altering performs. There have been the aforementioned interceptions by a second-year nostril sort out and a core particular teamer seeing time at cornerback due to an damage to Donte Jackson. There additionally was Corliss Waitman flipping the sphere a few occasions and Ben Skowronek sealing the deal by leaping on the free ball when certainly one of his punts have been muffed.
“I wish to take the mystique out of our efficiency,” stated Tomlin. “We decide how we play. We decide the result of soccer video games. I constructed this crew that method, and so I’m not being constant in my phrases or actions if I method video games any in a different way.”
They will want that method to bear fruit as a result of their subsequent three video games are completely different in what they current in diploma of issue with little restoration time from one to the following. Three video games within the 11 days beginning with Dec. 15 and ending with Dec. 25 towards three of the league’s greatest groups, all with rosters containing among the NFL’s most dynamic gamers.
Those three video games – in Philadelphia vs. the 11-2 Eagles, in Baltimore vs. the “won-loss file does not matter” Ravens, and in Pittsburgh on Christmas Day vs. the two-time defending champion Chiefs – towards that stage of competitors at the moment within the schedule is why they fought via all the work they did to get right here. Three All-Pro quarterbacks. Three elite organizations. The pursuit of a championship should undergo that stage of competitors, and the Steelers are going to seek out out in the event that they’re as much as the problem.
It’s not going to be simple, as a result of they don’t seem to be going to get the type of assist they obtained from the Browns. And it does not need to be fairly, as a result of the one factor that issues is successful that exact recreation by any means potential. But it is going to be revealing.
The Steelers will wade into it with the type of crew – particularly as soon as Pickens is again from his hamstring drawback – that’s extra geared up and higher ready to deal with it than any of their current previous. They have completed what was essential to place themselves in place as one of many league’s most related groups in the course of December.
It’s all there for them. And the perfect half is it is going to be as much as them.
