The Saga of Deebo provides all the “ugly” you need from the Steelers/Texans game

I don’t know about you, but I almost couldn’t believe I was watching a Steelers game. No drama? No edge of your seat, nail-bitingly close finish? It can’t be.  I actually sat down and watched the game. I don’t think I even yelled one time.

It was unsettling.

Clearly, I’ve been conditioned, and the Texans/Steelers game on Christmas was not what I’d been conditioned to expect. It was almost, peaceful. Of course, then the game ended and the week began and drama returned in spades.

Let’s take a quick look at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Steelers game against the Texans (and maybe a little more).

Good

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Surgical Offense

It started with their very first drive. 8 plays, 59 yards ending with a field goal. The Steelers had drives of 8, 6, 6, 11, and 7 in their first 5 drives. They won time of possession 30:56 to 29:04. While that’s not a dramatic advantage, that has more to do with the efficiency the Steelers offense displayed through most of the game.

A prime example of how much the Steelers were “in-control” can be found in a drive in the fourth quarter, immediately following the Texans only score. The Steelers took the ball on their own 21 yard line after a squib kick, and then after a quick first down thanks to Le’Veon Bell 5 yard run and a Texans encroachment penalty, the drive went like this:

  • Roethlisberger pass short left to Smith-Schuster pushed OB at HST 21 for 49 yards
  • Roethlisberger pass short right to Smith-Schuster to HST 18 for 3 yards
  • Ridley right end to HST 18 for no gain
  • Roethlisberger pass deep middle to Smith-Schuster for 18 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Nobody had overly gaudy statistics:

  • Ben – 20/29 for 226 yards, 2 TD, 115.0 Rating
  • Bell – 69 yards rushing, 1 TD, 5 Receptions for 28 yards.
  • JuJu – 6 receptions for 75 yards, 1 TD

They didn’t need to, because the overall result was simply a surgical effective offense that for the most part did whatever they wanted to do. 58% third down efficiency (7-12) and 67% red zone efficiency (4-6) are numbers you will take every single week.

I said this on the podcast after the game, and I think it remains true. This offense is going to go as far as Ben Roethlisberger can take it. It’s his offense, and it runs through him. Le’Veon can be a really important factor, and AB is always going to be a crucial piece, but when Ben is playing the way he has been over the second half of the season, this is a dangerous group. It showed in Houston even without Antonio Brown.

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Cam Heyward is a Grown Ass Man

Pro-Bowl, Schmo-Bowl.

Cam Heyward should be ALL-PRO. I’ve said it, tweeted it, roared it from my front porch (much to the annoyance of my neighbors). I’ll go one better – when the people who decide these things get together to discuss who should be Defensive Player of the Year in the AFC, Cam Heyward should be at the top of the list.

12 SACKS FROM A 3-4 D-LINEMAN! That is just a start though. Cam has 3 pass defenses, 2 forced fumbles (1 recovery), and 30 tackles to go along with those sacks.

Those sacks place him fifth in the league behind Everson Griffen – 13 (Vikings), Demarcus Lawrence – 14.5 (Cowboys), Calais Campbell – 14.5 (Jaguar) and Chandler Jones – 15 (Cardinals).

Calais Campbell is really the only other defensive lineman who belongs in the conversation with Cam, and he may have a slight advantage in stats, and has had a tremendous season in his own right. Consider the surrounding pieces and the domination Cam has shown in nearly every game. Consider that an argument can be made that Cam Heyward’s play in and of itself has dictated a change in philosophy in the way the Steelers play defense and I think you can definitely make the argument that he deserves consideration.

Cam Heyward is a grown ass man.

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Hilton Hive

AFC Defensive Player of the week. I mean, really what more needs to be said. 3 sacks. THREE SACKS. By a cornerback! Yes, you read that correctly. The first time it’s ever happened in the history of the NFL. Hell, only 2 other defensive backs in Steelers history have pulled it off, and they were both safeties (Lake and Polamalu).

The Hilton Hive should be swarming like mad. Mike Hilton has been a solid performer all season long, and he continues to improve.

First Round Bye

The best thing to come out of this game – that the Steelers will not be playing on Wild Card Weekend. They clinched a first-round bye. Considering the injury to Antonio Brown, and the general wear and tear a full NFL season puts on players, that is a huge accomplishment and a much-needed break for players to “get right”.

The Steelers have not committed to resting players this weekend, and I can understand that. They still have a possible chance at being the top seed if the Jets can pull off a big upset over Al Riveron and the Patriots this week (Yeah, I said it). I would guess that despite what Mike Tomlin said, there will be some scoreboard watching and if the Jets/Pats game gets out of hand, then many of the Steelers starters will make an early exit from this week’s Browns game, if in fact they ever play a snap.

Much to the delight of Joe Kuzma, it could be the Landry Jones show this weekend. When all is said and done, that’s really not a bad thing.

Bad

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Rush, Defense?

If you want to find the rusty, crud-covered lining to the Texans game it is this – the Texans ran for 176 yards on 28 carries (average of 6.3 per carry). That is below the line. The number is inflated by a 48 yard scamper by Alfred Blue, but it happened, so you really can’t discount it.

Mike Tomlin said that the Steelers were heavily focused on trying to take away Deandre Hopkins, which they did for the most part. Maybe that contributed to the ability of the Texans to run the ball. Still, I don’t think anyone on the team is happy with how easy it seemed for the Texans to push the ball forward on the ground.

It seemed clear to everyone, except, I guess Bill O’Brien.

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What was he thinking? And Thanks!

Speaking of Bill O’Brien. I’m sure Terry Fletcher will call this out in her weekly WTF, because WTF was he thinking?

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you didn’t watch the game. It was the second quarter and the Steelers had allowed the Texans to get a first and goal from the 6 yard line. The Texans would have 4 shots at the end zone from that spot.

4 shots. With a team that had seemed able to run the ball at will. It felt like a foregone conclusion that they were going to score, and close the gap on the Steelers.

4 shots. 1 run and 3 passes. The final pass on fourth and goal from the 1 ended with an Artie Burns interception.

I don’t know why that was the play selection – but thanks Bill!

Ugly

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The Fallout

Prior to the Texans games the Steelers activated Marcus Gilbert to the active roster. In so doing, they needed to clear a roster spot. They chose to do so by releasing James Harrison.

Zach Metklers little chart of “weeks without Steelers drama” had to be reset.

Since then the declarations from Steelers Nation have swung from team incompetence and heartlessness to shock and confusion about statements from the locker room regarding the Steelers all-time sack leader.

Topping it all off, Harrison signed with the Patriots.

I don’t and won’t pretend to know the person that James Harrison is. I’ve met him on several occasions, and I’ve seen the good side and the bad side of his personality. None of what has come out seems surprising to me. Harrison went from a media darling last season as he defied age and time to contribute heavily to the Steelers late and postseason runs.

This year, it’s been a different story. Last year, Harrison was playing for the ineffective Jarvis Jones, and still split some time with Anthony Chickillo and others. This year, the Steelers brought in T.J. Watt via the draft, and…well…let’s just say he ain’t no Jarvis Jones. T.J. Watt’s play made Harrison something of an afterthought. Add into the mix that the play of Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt as well as others allowed the Steelers to switch from a defensive scheme predicated on zone-blitzes and pressure from the OLB position to one that utilizes more man coverage and gets pressure from its interior linemen.   The OLB’s spend much more time dropping in coverage and are expected to cover effectively.

During the Packers game, the announcers commented on how well Watt covered Jordy Nelson. Yes, a perennial all-pro wide receiver. James Harrison does not possess those capabilities at this point in his career (if, in fact, he was ever capable of that kind of coverage).

That being said, it’s no surprise that the Harrison has been seeking his release since before the season even began. This is a proud man, and he believes he can still contribute, and wants to. You also can’t blame the Steelers for keeping him around in the event of an injury to Watt or Dupree. Even if that meant reverting to their old philosophies. It was a safety net.

Harrison clearly saw the writing on the wall with the way Watt played. Harrison wanted out, and in the end, he got what he wanted. The vitriol coming from the locker room speaks to a man who alienated himself from the team and his fellow players. I don’t know how much of it is true, and how much of it has been dramatized like a Hallmark made for TV movie, but at its core, it speaks to how much Harrison was straying from “The Steelers Way”. It’s always been a part of the process for the greats of the past to pass on their legacy and knowledge to the next generation. To read that, when Bud Dupree was asked if Harrison was a mentor sent Dupree into a fit of giggling is a clear indication that this wasn’t going on.

James Harrison was a great player, and this is a sad way for his Steelers legacy to end. Some things we’d rather not learn about our heroes. This whole sad affair brings to mind this quote:

“Heroes are created by popular demand, sometimes out of the scantiest materials.” – Gerald W. Johnson

Don’t look too closely at your heroes. They are really just people with the same flaws and the same insecurities as all the rest of us. I wish James Harrison the best as a person and a father. As a football player for the Patriots, I hope he tastes nothing but the bitterness of defeat.

Conclusion

So I went on a bit, and the James Harrison saga distracted me from welcoming back Joe Haden, who came in and did a truly marvelous job of trying to keep on of the top 3 or 4 receivers in the league in check. It took a tremendous catch (as well as obvious offensive pass interference that will never be called) for Hopkins to finally score.

The Steelers look primed for this run. They look like the best team in the AFC. Let’s hope we get through the Cleveland game without any more drama, and maybe Zach can put a 1 back on his sign.


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