The Steelers win!

We’ll have more in-depth breakdown of the game in the next few days, but here are some quick takeaways following that beautiful Steelers victory.

Offense

– Let’s take a moment to appreciate the offensive depth on this team. The Steelers were missing Le’Veon Bell, Markus Wheaton, and Ladarius Green yet the offense didn’t skip a beat. Though the offensive unit sputtered at first, once they scored on that 4th and 1 shot to Antonio Brown they couldn’t be stopped.

– Speaking of that pass, WOW! We’re used to Ben taking deep shots on 3rd and short, but certainly not 4th and short! The crazy thing too is that Ben had two receivers wide open in the middle field. That play was truly a testament to the rapport between AB and Ben.

– I have to mention Ben Roethlisberger of course. He is an elite quarterback in this league and showed it tonight. I can’t wait to see what he can do once he has all of his weapons.

– Brown wasn’t the only receiver to impress though. Eli Rogers was a revelation. We all suspected he would be our starting slot receiver, but who knew Ben would trust him so much. There was a miscommunication between the two that led to a pick, but that play doesn’t take away from the quickness and awareness that Rogers displayed all night. His touchdown was a memorable one as well.

– Some people wouldn’t expect a stat-line of 26 carries for 143 yards, 6 catches for 28 yards, and 2 touchdowns from a 33 year-old running back. Those people haven’t met DeAngelo Williams. Williams showed no signs of slowing down tonight,  running hard, making guys miss, and playing like somebody half his age. Williams is easily one of the best Steeler free agency signings in years.

– I’m kind of surprised I didn’t hear any “HEEAAATHHH” screams tonight, unless I missed them. I say this because Jesse James looked like baby Heath Miller out there. His blocking was solid and he caught about everything that came his way. James is proving to be a very reliable receiving option for Ben.

– Last but not least, how great was our offensive line? They were opening holes all day and provided a consistent pocket for Ben. Such a great unit.

Defense

– The Steelers defense appeared to maintain their “bend-but-don’t-break” philosophy. Many were upset that the Redskins drove down the field early on, but what’s important was that the Steelers held the offense to field goals early on.

– Robert Golden sure was impressive tonight. The safety position is one that can be hard to notice, but Golden was frequently in on tackles and running towards the ball. His reliable tackling was refreshing considering that’s been one of our secondaries weaknesses in recent years. Golden is off to a great start this year.

– Lawrence Timmons unfortunately displayed tonight why the Steelers declined to extend his contract. He’s still a good, tough player, but he is a liability in coverage and his tackling ability isn’t what it used to be. I still love and appreciate Timmons, but I won’t be surprised if his role and snap count decline over the course of the season.

– Let’s pray Ryan Shazier stays healthy this year. Shazier was in top-form making plays all night and is a key cog this defense. We saw him covering Jordan Reed tonight, showing he is a key for this defense stopping athletic tight ends. Hopefully his knee injury is minor and the Steelers have their future-star on the field next week.

– How bout LJ Fort though? He nearly caused a sack or even a touchdown on his one pass-rush near the end of the game. I certainly did not expect that from Fort so kudos to him for capitalizing on his limited playing time!

– It wouldn’t shock me if our defense line led this team in sacks. Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt were disruptive all night and were constantly pressuring Cousins. This defensive line is a force and I love them.

– Let’s hope tonight was an off-night for Ross Cockrell. He was frequently targeted and didn’t play overly physical. Not going to jump to conclusions because I know Cockrell has potential and the coaching staff likes him, but if his struggles were to continue we may see Artie Burns or Justin Gilbert getting some playing time in the upcoming weeks.