Heyward: They’re all must-win the rest of the way
From the notebook of a sportswriter who wonders how a week of Duck Mania would’ve gone had the ball only bounced the right way:
n Or just continued to bounce along at its trajectory. But, as Devlin Hodges told me when I asked why he couldn’t jump on that loose ball, “It’s a football.”
n So, did JuJu Smith-Schuster fumble away a second consecutive season? Not if we are to heed the defense, whose captain, Cam Heyward, said, “They’re all must-win the rest of the way.”
n The defense is playing well, and seemingly getting better with each passing series. But it’s not as if these are the ’76 Steelers. Those Steelers started 1-4 (including a loss to New England). They went on a defensive binge like no other in NFL history with 28 points allowed in their final nine games to finish 10-4.
n This defense is good enough to have held back-to-back foes — Baltimore and Cincinnati — to season lows in yardage by 131 and 118 yards, respectively. The 452 yards allowed is the best two-game defensive showing by the Steelers since mid-October of 2017 when the defense was beginning to come together before injuries to Joe Haden and then Ryan Shazier.
n Before that, the best two-game defensive showing was 438 yards allowed in November of 2012 under Dick LeBeau.
n This defense is younger and moving in a positive direction, and gave Mike Tomlin another good reason to kickoff after winning the overtime coin toss.
n I thought it was a bad move, but he made sense afterward by pointing out the mismatch that was the Ravens kickoff team vs. the Steelers return team. The Steelers’ average start after six Ravens kickoffs was the 19, and that was helped by three touchbacks. Otherwise, the returners brought it out to the 11, 12 and 15.
n Tomlin also had the advantage of defending the South end zone, the site of many field goal misadventures. In fact, it appeared that the great Justin Tucker had hooked the 46-yard game-winner, but the ball suddenly veered inside — just like the fumble that cost the nation Duck Mania.
n Before we give into the hate and ridicule Smith-Schuster for fumbling after giving his team a first down at their 45 (at least) in overtime, remember he had survived an even more vicious tomahawk chop at the ball by Marlon Humphrey in the first quarter to score a touchdown.
n Not that we’re trying to make such a fumble simpatico, but we don’t need any hate. No one does.
n I rarely get back into first-quarter notes here, but the kick return team was so bad the Heinz Field crowd responded to a touchback with a mock cheer after both Johnny Holton and Ryan Switzer had failed to clear the 15 on earlier returns.
n Diontae Spencer, the preseason flash who was cut and landed with Denver, is averaging 32.3 on kick returns and 7.0 on punt returns. The Steelers are averaging 18.1 and 6.3 respectively.
n I saw no reason to keep Donte Moncrief on the bench for Holton. I mentioned this AFTER James Washington left with a second-half injury and the mere mention of Moncrief triggered Steelers fans on Twitter. They “ratio-ed” me for the first time in years.
n I’m telling you, the guy’s just not as bad as he looked in the first two games when he dropped one more pass than he had dropped in all of 2018. Holton just isn’t showing me anything. Moncrief is a professional receiver who’s been looking good in practice. I assume his dislocated middle finger is feeling better.
n I’m also assuming he’ll get his chance in Los Angeles because Washington injured the AC joint in his shoulder. Tight end Vance McDonald also left the game, and, of course, so did QB Mason Rudolph. In spite of the horrendous optics of the Rudolph injury, this isn’t too bad of an injury report as the bye looms. If the Steelers can cover Keenan Allen this time, a win on the West Coast is possible.
n One of my colleagues believes it’s more possible now than before Rudolph’s injury. WDVE’s Mike Prisuta is, and has been, convinced that Hodges is a better quarterback than Rudolph. I disagree, but Hodges didn’t make my friend wrong with his performance against the Ravens. His wind-up’s a bit elongated, as evidenced by Earl Thomas’ center field interception that was negated by penalty, and he doesn’t move quite as well as Rudolph, but Hodges did waddle his way to a huge 21-yard run on the late go-ahead field goal drive.
n The Steelers had a first down at the Baltimore 18 after Hodges’ run. The score was tied with 4:52 remaining. They needed a touchdown there, but safely gained three yards on two runs and a short swing pass. In retrospect, they should’ve attacked.
n The late hit called on Ola Adeniyi on the next series may have been the worst of many bad calls by the always over-officious Walt Anderson crew. Adeniyi hit Lamar Jackson neither late nor low, and the short pass would’ve brought up third-and-8 at the Baltimore 27 with 2:24 remaining. Instead, the Ravens were gifted a first down at the Baltimore 42, and one snap later they were at the Pittsburgh 44, otherwise known as field goal range for Tucker.
n A couple other notes on the defense: The addition of Kameron Kelly to the dime, in place of Devin Bush, paid off with the young ballhawk’s first NFL interception. He was playing center field as first-team center fielder Minkah Fitzpatrick was free to cover tight end Mark Andrews. The pass bounced off Andrews and into the hands of Kelly to set up a field goal that cut the deficit to 17-10 in the second quarter.
n On the ensuing kickoff, it appeared that Chris Boswell saved a TD with his tackle of Justice Hill on the return. The Ravens had a first down at the Pittsburgh 42, but eventually punted.
n Boswell is 10-for-10 on field goals, 9-for-9 on extra points and has that TD-saving tackle. He might be their MVP thus far.
n The other note on defensive alignments involved the 3-ILB look presumably installed for Jackson. On 10 such snaps, the Steelers allowed 9 yards on 5 rushes, and 3-for-4 passing for 20 yards, the Marquise Brown TD and the Bush interception. Vince Williams was also called offsides once, but that just looked like another poor and ticky-tack call by Anderson.
n Terrell Edmunds is getting better, too. He’s definitely a better Robin than Batman. So is Sean Davis, if he ever comes back to this team as a third safety.
n The niches at slot corner are also paying off. Cam Sutton, the pass-downs slot, broke up a TD pass in the end zone, and Mike Hilton had a second consecutive outstanding performance, which included an interception as the short-yardage slot.
n The front remains a dominant rush group. The five sacks of Jackson gives the Steelers 19 for the season, third best in the NFL. The next one-loss team in the sacks standings is 1-3-1 Arizona, tied for 15th with 12 sacks. Hard to compile sacks when you’re losing games.
n Hey, I was all for the wildcat pass. It worked beautifully in practice. But not from your own 12 early in the first quarter. I doubt I’ll get much disagreement on that.
n But I guess all of us can get ratio-ed at any time.
n The other consensus agreement, I’m guessing, will be on the obvious observation that cornerback Steven Nelson has been an outstanding addition. I believe the only time I noticed him was when he broke up a TD pass in the end zone that shocked Willie Snead.
n Offensively, the Steelers have allowed only five sacks of first, second and third-team quarterbacks. That in itself is amazing, but throw in the 1-4 record with more passing involved and it’s an even better stat. The Steelers are second in sacks allowed. The next-best one-win team is Atlanta at 16th.
n The line’s giving the young quarterbacks time, and those young quarterbacks are playing well enough to win. James Conner began showing flashes of his old self in the second half, and I’m not too worried about the tight ends and wide receivers, particularly with Moncrief due back.
n No, take it easy. I was just kidding.
n Kind of. But the point is, I remain optimistic, even in the face of growing and understandable discontent from the fan base.