‘Iron Mac’ changing the dynamics of Steelers offense
PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin talked Tuesday about the improvement made by the Cleveland Browns since the opener.
He talked first about rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, the first pick of this year’s draft who stepped in for the injured starter and rallied the Browns to their first win in two seasons. Mayfield then directed a win over the Baltimore Ravens two weeks later.
The second name out of Tomlin’s mouth was David Njoku, the Browns’ second-year tight end. The 2017 first-round pick caught three passes for only 13 yards against the Steelers in the opener, but in the last three games he’s averaged 5.3 catches for 53 yards per game. His 15-yard touchdown catch last week was his second of the season.
So, OK, the Browns are making improvement at the tight end position. But it’s nothing like the improvement Vance McDonald is showing for the Steelers.
“Yeah, Njokus’s playing really well. Coach showed us some clips today,” said Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey. “But he can’t compare to Vance.”
McDonald didn’t play the opener in Cleveland, but has since become something of a Pittsburgh phenomenon with his bruising running style in the vein of another No. 89, former great Mike Ditka.
Not that the comparison is new to McDonald, though.
“When I was a rookie,” said McDonald, “Coach (Jim) Harbaugh tried to steer me down that path, so, yeah, I watched a little Ditka tape.”
“Iron Mac” has been the ideal comparison for Steelers fans ever since McDonald violently stiff-armed Tampa Bay safety Chris Conte on his way to a 75-yard touchdown catch. Since then, McDonald has brutalized linebackers and safeties the way Harbaugh once envisioned.
“When Vance McDonald gets here,” Harbaugh told NFL Network on draft day ’13, “I’m going to try to get him in the No. 89. Because what I have come to know of ‘Iron’ Mike Ditka and the respect that I have for him through the years, I can’t wait for Coach Ditka to see Vance McDonald. Because I believe he’s going to see some very good similarities.”
However, it wasn’t until McDonald’s third year with the 49ers that the comparison came to life. McDonald ran over an Arizona Cardinals safety and a columnist for the Sacramento Bee called Ditka.
“He looks very good,” Ditka said that day, the second game he had watched McDonald play. “If those two games were his best, he’s going to have better ones to come.”
But they never really came, at least in San Francisco. McDonald finished that 2015 season with a career-high 30 catches, and then caught 24 in 2016 before the 49ers stunned McDonald by trading him to the Steelers just before the start of the 2017 season.
McDonald’s been in and out of the lineup with injuries, but appears on his way to shattering his career numbers this season. He’s moved next to Ben Roethlisberger in the locker room and is developing into that security blanket Roethlisberger’s missed since Heath Miller retired.
And that’s the other comparison being made in the Steelers’ locker room these days.
“He’s great. He’s all-around great,” Pouncey said of McDonald. “He reminds me a lot of Heath (Miller), the way he carries himself. Obviously, he has the physical ability to be better than Heath in a way, because of how fast he can run, the routes he does. Hands down, man, he’s one of the coolest guys on the team, one of my favorite guys the way he works. He doesn’t say much at all, but I watch him on film and tell him all the time, man, I love that (stuff).”
In his five games this season, McDonald has 20 catches for 274 yards, an average of four catches for 55 yards per game.
That’s well above his average from last year, when he averaged 1.4 catches for 18.8 yards per game. And that was better than his average per game in San Francisco, where he averaged 1.3 catches for 18 yards per game.
But McDonald’s finally realizing his potential now, and inspiring teammates by the way he does it.
“I don’t get to see it until we come back and watch film,” Pouncey said. “Then we see some of the things he does like knocking guys down, hitting one guy and going to the next guy. Man, if Vance stays healthy, he’s going to be one of those guys people talk about for a long time.”
NOTES: Roethlisberger had a sparkle in his eyes while talking about how good he’s feeling coming out of the bye week. “I feel better, especially my knees,” he said. “I’ve had a couple knee surgeries and for those not to have fluid on them or have to ice them every day is really beneficial.” … Morgan Burnett missed the last four games with a groin injury, but returned to practice Wednesday. Teammate Mike Hilton confirmed that Burnett played the dime linebacker spot that had been previously manned by 188-pound cornerback Cam Sutton. Burnett is a 209-pound safety. … L.J. Fort (ankle) was also a full participant, but TE Xavier Grimble (concussion) and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (ankle) were limited.