Commence yinzing in 3..2..1… WHAT A WIN!

The Steelers totally redeemed themselves this week following an embarrassing loss against the Eagles. This week they flipped the script and won a blowout versus the Chiefs – a team that’s actually solid.

We’ll have in-depth breakdowns of the game later, but here’s my initial thoughts following the game and some Bud Light.

Offense

The 3 B’s are back baby! The NFL’s most dangerous trio showed up big tonight – just look at these stat lines…

• Ben Roethlisberger: 22/27, 300 yards, 5 touchdowns
• Le’Veon Bell: 18 carries, 144 yards. 5 catches, 34 yards.
• Antonio Brown: 4 catches, 64 yards, 2 touchdowns

Those numbers are ridiculous. Bell showed no rust in his 2016 debut; he was his usually slippery, hard-nosed self. If tonight was a rusty performance, then I don’t know what to expect next week. His running is so impressive. He showed quick feet, patience, and the refusal to go down after contact. It won’t take long for people to remember who the #1 running back in the NFL is.

In a night full of redemption, Markus Wheaton deserves some credit. After having a poor debut last week, he bounced back with a 30 yard touchdown reception where he burned the cornerback. He may have only had 1 catch, but he made it count.

It was also nice seeing some of the lesser guys get some plays. Darrius Heyward-Bey had a 31 yard touchdown reception where he strolled into the endzone. David Johnson and Xavier Grimble also each got catches for solid yards. It’s great seeing Ben spread the ball around.

Sammie Coates also had his best game of the season. He caught 6 balls for 79 yards  – including a 47 yard leaping deep ball on the first drive. I wasn’t a big advocate for Coates coming out of camp, but it’s great seeing the 2nd year receiving improving each week and creating a role for himself in this offense full of talented players. I’ll happily admit I was wrong.

Defense

This was also a great night for the defense. They were solid on all fronts and played aggressive football. This defense is awake after a poor showing last week.

What a night for Vince Williams. He showed us why the Steelers gave him a new contract by ending the night with a team-high 16 tackles. I love Lawrence Timmons and he played great tonight, but I feel comfortable with Williams taking the reigns from Timmons next season.

Cam Heyward had a great night. Who knows if he was bothered by his injury for the past couple weeks, but he was certainly back at full force tonight. I didn’t even realize untill checking out the stats, but he had 3 sacks!

Jarvis Jones also deserves some recognition. He gets a lot of hate, and rightfully so, but he’s a solid linebacker. He had some pressure tonight and even came away with a pick. Yes the ball fell right into him, but regardless of the circumstances, he made a play. Kudos to you Jarvis.

It’s hard evaluating the secondary when watching live on tv, but our unit seemed to have a great night. The tackling and coverage was solid all game. Artie Burns especially seems to be showing growth. He flashed his athleticism and talent with his 2 pass breakups. It was also great seeing him fired up – that’s the kind of attitude you need to excel on defense.

Final Thoughts

This article is so much more fun to write than last weeks.

The teams phrase “The Standard is the Standard” rang true tonight. Many back-ups were forced into action tonight and guys like Jordan Dangerfield and BJ Finney all stepped up. The team showed that they have solid depth, but let’s hope all of our starters heal up soon.

I’m sure there were flaws in this game, but hey, this article is titled “Quick Yinzing” for a reason. The Steelers played fired up, inspired football tonight. This kind of game gives me confidence that this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Another impressive aspect of this game is how the weather had virtually no effect on the team. It was pouring for most of the game yet the team didn’t skip a beat and played through with minimal issues.

Tonight, all of Steeler Nation can sleep with smiles on their faces.