Steelers @ Patriots Recap - Defense MUCH Improved in Derrick Harmon’s Debut
Screenshot via NFL+.
Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Steelers won a football game in Foxborough for the first time since November 30th, 2008, this one ending 21-14. I thought there was a good possibility that both offenses would get things grooving in this game, but instead we got a defensive slugfest that wasn’t very easy on the eyes. Love it or hate it, I’m sure most of us are in the latter, but these ugly games are Mike Tomlin football, especially in recent years, and his 106-65-2 career record in one score games is indicative of that. I’ll let yinz decide whether that stat is a good or a bad look for him.
In my pregame thoughts for this one, I mentioned that I needed to see signs of life against the run, and thankfully, that’s exactly what I got. The three Patriots RBs combined for 74 yards on 22 carries (3.4 ypc), which is good, though our rushing numbers as a whole were just okay. The defense clearly wasn’t prepared for Drake Maye to use his legs as much as he did - 7 carries for 45 yards (6.4 ypc). The addition of Derrick Harmon paid dividends instantaneously; he finished with a TFL, a sack, and a QB hit. They also brought back Demarvin Leal, and continued to get positive contributions from Yahya Black and Daniel Ekuale. I’m not saying the Steelers defensive line is all sorted out, but I do feel better about it today than I did last week.
I also think the secondary took a step forward from last week; some of that has to do with execution, but a lot has to do with the playcalling being a little bit more player-friendly. I think the addition of Jabrill Peppers has given the coaching staff the confidence to adjust a bit in that regard. Guys were definitely stickier in coverage against the Patriots, but their tight ends were really able to run roughshod around the middle of the field - Hunter Henry finished with 8 catches for 90 yards and 2 TDs, one of which you can see in the play above. Of course, I don’t wear a headset on the sideline so I don’t know who’s responsible for what on this play, but the eye test tells me that Payton Wilson (#41) blows his coverage on that play. I had extremely high hopes for his trajectory coming into this season, but that’s on hold for the time being. He’s off to a terrible start to the year. He wasn’t the only LB out there, though. Patrick Queen and Cole Holcomb had some ugly moments in this game, too.
Now that I’ve dunked on the LBs, I’ll pass out some flowers: it was super cool seeing Cole Holcomb force that fumble early in the first quarter. That’s the first real big play he’s had since he destroyed his knee against the Titans in 2023, so how could you not love that? On the ensuing Steelers drive, we would get this pretty toss play (above) to Kenneth Gainwell for a touchdown. I really love this play design (one of the rare good offensive play calls in this game), and I think this endzone angle shows us some more of that expert ballhandling that Aaron Rodgers has already displayed a couple times this season. If not for that, I’m not sure that Patriots EDGE player bites as hard as he does.
That scoring drive came on the heels of one of the 5 (yes..FIVE) turnovers that the Steelers defense was able to generate. Big #97 had his hands in the pot for two of those turnovers: he tipped the pass on the INT to Echols at the end of the first half, and he forced a fumble (Rhamondre Stevenson) on the Pats’ first possession of the second half. He’s all the proof I will ever need on speaking about players’ contract situations. I chose not to speak on his last month, because I thought something like this might happen…and here we are. At 36 years old, Cam Heyward continues to be the gold standard for defensive line play - more than worthy of whatever contract he thinks he deserves. He also secured himself a sack in this game. Let this be a lesson to yinz to keep that big mfs name out ya mouths.
Offensively, the Steelers were pretty damn bad in this one. It’s hard to find much of a silver lining in the film, too, unfortunately. A-Rodg threw a pretty touchdown pass to DK late in the first quarter, then after that, the Steelers went: 3 & out, INT, 3 & out, 3 & out, and then 5 plays & out (only got a first down because of a DPI call). Also, on the INT, that’s now two weeks in a row that Rodgers has thrown it right at a defender in coverage in the middle of the field. He’s just not seeing these guys, and that’s a concern for me as well. Thank goodness the offense was able to move the ball early in the game, or who knows what the time of possession would have looked like. The offense was gift wrapped 5 possessions off turnovers, and we still lost time of possession 26:40 - 33:20. There’s just no imagination, and not much to hang your hat on there.
After last week’s game in Seattle, I was pretty critical of Calvin Austin III, but he was able to come out and make a big play in this one. His go-ahead touchdown late in the 4th quarter (above) was a thing of beauty. Look at his release off the line of scrimmage. My gawd. This is, surely, one of the most forgettable reps of CB Marcus Jones’ football life. A release like that is how he’s able to be 5’8 and still have a productive career as an NFL receiver. Also, for what it’s worth, this is looking like back-to-back years that a veteran QB has stepped in and developed a beautiful rapport with #19. Those back-shoulder timing throws don’t just happen overnight for a QB/WR. He’s putting in the work, for sure. My WR2🖤.
The last thing I wanted to talk about from this game was the DPI that was called on Brandin Echols early in the second quarter, because what the hell was that? In the tweet/post I’m providing for context, you can hear the broadcast joking about Boutte’s last name, which is great and funny, but then JJ Watt calls the DPI I’m referring to an “obvious call” and I’m just wondering how a former defensive player in the NFL can watch that and think it’s a DPI on Echols. In the video during the broadcast, as JJ is speaking those words, the replay is showing Boutte pin Echols’ left arm, then throw him to the ground. I can, maybe, understand if there were offsetting penalties here, or if you just let them play it out, then that would’ve been fine with me. I’m just not too sure how anyone can watch that play and think to themselves that Brandin Echols was the sole player that didn’t operate within the NFL rules there. This happened on THIRD DOWN. The penalty gave them a new set of downs from our 5-yard-line, and they scored a touchdown on the next play. This is a different ballgame if that was called correctly, just sayin’.
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