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Steelers-Eagles: The Good x4, The Bad & The Ugly
Yinzer Crazy • October 12, 2020
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-0 for the first time since 1979.
The year prior in 1978 they also started 4-0.
In both seasons - they were crowned Super Bowl Champions.
I believe two things to be true as we sit here and reflect on a Monday morning.
As we’ve been saying all along, as long as number 7 stays healthy throughout the season this team is a Super Bowl contender.
But if the secondary continues to play below expectations and the running game can’t get going like we saw on Sunday against the Eagles - they won’t be hoisting the trophy.
Let's break those items down and more in our weekly “The Good, the Bad & the Ugly” Steelers game recap.
The Good
Chase Claypool
What, you thought this would be different?
The Steelers rookie receiver doesn’t just look the part - he is the leading man.
After Diontae Johnson went out with calf injury early in the 1st quarter we thought the Steelers could be challenged the rest of the game given that they would be a bit short-handed at receiver.
Not the case with Chase.
You know the story by now - he had three touchdowns through the air including the game-sealing 35 yard strike with under three minutes in the game to extend the Steelers lead to nine.
He also added a rushing touchdown in the 1st quarter.
A short-list of rookies to score four touchdowns in a game in NFL history include Emmitt Smith, Jim Brown and Gale Sayers.
No Steeler has had four touchdowns in a game since Roy Jefferson in 1968.
Claypool now has five total touchdowns this season.
The New York Jets have seven.
Claypool will likely be the AFC Offensive Player of the Week when it is announced Tuesday.
Here’s the scary thing - he’s still just scratching the surface.
My friends and I talked yesterday at length about how we're really impressed and surprised at the way Offensive Coordinator Randy Fichnter, generally the least creative man on earth, has used Claypool in a variety of creative ways.
He deserves plenty of kudos for the early success of the rookie.
He's also been a dynamo on special teams, and I think he's earned his way off of that unit.
The Steelers can't risk a guy who just scored four touchdowns on offensive getting injured trying to make a tackle on a kickoff.
Peter King of NBC Sports
told me last week on the Yinzer Crazy Podcast (subscribe on all major streaming platforms!) that he believes there's a strong chance the Steelers will also use Claypool at tight-end as the year goes on to continue to give opposing defenses different looks.
That means we could see him scoring touchdowns at receiver, in the backfield, as well as possibly moved in-line pre-snap.
Could he also be in line to replace Ben Roethlisberger as his future successor at quarterback?
The Bad
The Ground Game
The Steelers run game was bad on Sunday. No need to mince words.
James Conner was stuck in the mud - registering only 44 yards on 15 touches.
And Benny Snell hasn’t done much since his season opening dash against the Giants. He only had seven carries for 19 yards.
There wasn’t a Steelers back who averaged over 3.0 yards per carry.
I hope the ice machines in the Steelers facilities are willing to work just as much as a road-worker on Route 28 because preserving Ben Roethlisberger’s right arm like a golden ticket is essential to the success of the black and gold.
He has proven already that he can continue to put them on his back and carry them to victory.
But coming off of major arm surgery at age 38 - it’s just not the recipe.
The run game has to be better, or Ben's elbow could end up falling off again mid-game.
I’d like to see rookie 4th round pick Anthony McFarland (little booger) given a larger share of the touches against Cleveland next week.
He’s just far more explosive than Conner or Snell - an element which the team is severely lacking in the backfield.
It will also help to keep Conner’s reps down, rendering him less likely to go down with an injury.
I pick little booger as my player to watch this coming week.
I certainly don’t think it can hurt, unless they dig too deep a hole (classic booger joke).
The Ugly
The Secondary - UGH!!
I wanted to tap into just how you are probably feeling as well with a strong "UGHH!!!!"
I wrote a few weeks ago that the Steelers secondary underwhelmed against both the Broncos and Texans at home.
If we’re allowing Jeff Driskel to slice and dice you, what was going to happen when you saw a quarterback of competence?
That reared its head in an ugly way again this past Sunday against Carson Wentz and a bunch of unheralded Eagles receivers.
Travis Fulgham was a 6th round pick in 2019 by the Lions, was the Eagles number five receiver on the depth chart for entering the season - and just barely made the team.
Yesterday he hauled in 10 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown.
Against Pro-Bowler caliber players Joe Haden and Steven Nelson.
Yes, the Steelers won the game and made some timely defensive stops to keep their undefeated season alive.
But I’ve now seen the likes of Jeff Driskel, Randall Cobb and Travis Fulgham play exceptionally well at Heinz Field in 2020.
What happens when those names are Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill or Odell Beckham?
I don’t know that for the Steleers the outcome would remain the same.
With the way the offensive is playing the defense may not have to play like the 76’ version of the Steelers.
But can we at least have some semblance of the 2019 version?
Steven Nelson, despite what PFF says has not been near the caliber of player we saw last season.
And although Minkah Fitzpatrick has yet to be really targeted consistently by opposing QB's, he has yet to make one his customary “splash” plays this year.
It’s a concern.
Good quarterbacks have challenged them in the past.
Tom Brady may be out of the conference, but there’s a dude in Kansas City who would carve up this current secondary if they don't shore things up.
I'm looking at you - Keith Butler and Coach Tomlin.
Either Haden or Nelson are getting a bit long in the tooth - or the coaching has been defective.
We'll find out more next week against Odell, Jarvis Landry and company.
The Steelers will take on the 4-1 Cleveland Browns what will be an early battle for first-place in the AFC North this coming Sunday.
If you didn’t already think the year 2020 was strange enough - read that last sentence again.
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