Tru-Pitt-sky: Why the Steelers can win with Mitch

Can we stop the “Keeping Up with the Jones'” with the QB’s in the AFC? Can we stop with the “Mitch can’t go toe-to-toe with Patrick, or Lamar, or Justin, or Joe, or Deshaun…” Can we just watch basketball and shut up until the draft?

Ok, I’m asking for the moon there, but I really am sick of the narrative that you need an elite quarterback to field a successful team in the NFL. I want to push back against that for a minute.

I understand why the NFL uses big-name QB’s as the face of teams, and why they market games to casual fans as if they were heavyweight bouts. For years Steelers/Patriots games were “Brady vs. Roethlisberger: the pretty-boy hero vs. the crooked-nosed heel.”

We’re all painfully aware of who got the better of that exchange more often than not, but in all that time no victory was ever decided by Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady having a fist-fight at the 50 yard line. They were never on the field at the same time, except when they shook hands post-game.

It’s absolutely true that a great quarterback can steal a game or three you had no business winning. Pat Mahomes can put up 50 on you in the first half if you’re not careful, but you don’t fight fire with fire.

I’ve got news for you: he’s human. Last year the Chiefs lost to the Titans 27-3. The Bills, Giants, Packers and Cowboys all held him to 20 points or less. If Ryan Tannehill and Daniel freakin’ Jones can out-gun him, Mitch Trubisky can, too.

The best way to topple a Pat Mahomes-led team is to build a defense suited to slow him and his weapons. These are the ingredients you’ll need:

  • Defensive linemen who can control blocks while keeping their eyes in the backfield so they can shed/stuff if he tries any of his malarkey – check.
  • Linebackers who can cover with depth; the inside linebacker duo of Devin Bush and Myles Jack is genetically engineered to counter Travis Kelce – check.
  • Corners who can run with the Tyreek Hills of the world – check. (Witherspoon, by the way).
  • Edge rushers who can contain – check, and check plus.
  • Physical run defenders (you see how that Maulet kid can hit?).

I know what you’re thinking: “But Mahomes & Co. walked all over this defense…twice!” Slow down, tough guy. TJ played that first game with cracked ribs and his groin hanging off; when he was healthy in that Wildcard Weekend matchup he created two turnovers. Witherspoon also posted two + performances against him, while Stephon Tuitt, Tyson Alualu and Myles Jack didn’t play in either game.

The Steelers have aggressively plugged a lot of holes around that defensive corps and they now have the potential to be one of the best units the NFL has ever seen. I’ll leave you with one last memory to chew on: Aaron Donald recording a run stuff on 3rd and 1, then getting in Joe Burrow’s face to force an incompletion on 4th and 1.

Defense, my friends, still wins championships.

Projecting Steelers’ 2022 Roster: OT

Under contract (2022 cap hit): Zach Banner ($6.625m), Joe Haeg ($3.1m), Dan Moore Jr ($999k), Chaz Green ($895k)

This could be the opening day roster. There are too many other holes on the depth chart and tackle isn’t even the biggest need on the offensive line.

I feel good about penciling in Dan Moore Jr at the LT spot. The rookie fourth-round pick held down the blind side all year in a HOF QB’s final rodeo; that’s all you need to know about the team’s confidence in him.

Banner was anointed the RT out of last preseason, but he tore his ACL like five snaps into the 2020 regular season. His paycheck suggests he’ll either be starting at RT for the Steelers in 2022, or a cap casualty.

UFA: Chukwuma Okorafor

Okorafor was slated as the starting LT coming out of camp, but Zach Banner never got healthy enough to command the RT job. Dan Moore slotted in on Ben’s blind side and Chuks spent another year on the right side.

The extra year of growth did Okorafor good. He went from a solid swing-tackle (football’s equivalent of the Sixth Man of the Year) to a legitimate starter, and Pittsburgh’s best pass blocker. It should be noted that he started at RT all year, even after Banner was healthy enough to play in a tackle-eligible role.

https://youtu.be/LJIUPcN-nTU
Okorafor vs. Clowney

As an unrestricted free agent this Spring, the open market will dictate the price tag for Okorafor. The market is always strong for OT’s because it’s hard to find good ones, and you need at least two to make a run.

The way I see it the team can go one of two ways:

  1. Cut Banner and re-sign Okorafor for as much or more as you’d pay Banner
  2. Let Okorafor walk and roll with Banner as the “cheaper option”

Ball finally drops on Steelers’ 2021

The Steelers season officially ended tonight with a 42-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Diontae Johnson’s case of the yips is back, and this strain is contagious. Juju Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool and Johnson all had balls bounce off their hands that we’ve seen them catch before.

Even Najee Harris – the owner of the record for most touches as a rookie without a fumble – was showing symptoms. The Steelers’ first seven drives ended with punts; in a position where they desperately needed to manufacture some sort of momentum, he put the ball on the turf.

The Steelers defense played the immovable object for a quarter and a half. TJ Watt had a deflection that led to a Devin Bush INT, and recovered a Cam Heyward-forced fumble two drives later to take a 7-0 lead.

The Chiefs offense scored touchdowns on each of their next six (6) possessions. The last one was a dagger to the heart: TE Travis Kelce took a direct snap and feigned an up the middle run, before throwing over the middle to WR Byron Pringle in the end zone.

That one hurt, but at least it was a legal maneuver. One of QB Patrick Mahomes’ TD throws was to a Tackle-eligible who blatantly (illegally) threw TJ Watt to the ground before turning and catching an easy TD.

Watt was also consistently held and taken to the ground, and never once saw a flag.

I’m sorry, I misspoke. I forgot for the penalty he took when he reached out at a Chiefs running back but could only get a momentary grasp of facemask…BECAUSE HE WAS BEING HELD.

The roughing the passer penalty on Alex Highsmith was also nonsense. Highsmith lets up from driving Mahomes into the ground, and makes sure to avoid falling on top of him.

Had all three of those calls – and all the other missed holds – gone the Steelers’ way, they may have had a puncher’s chance at covering the 13-point spread. That is to say: the Steelers defense lost this game, not the referees.

Ultimately, the Unstoppable Force won.