This afternoon started out rough. The Bengals were crushing the Eagles, the Ravens were manhandling the Dolphins, and I wasn’t able to get my chicken wings for the game. After this performance though, nothing could ruin my night. The Steelers proved today that they are legit and are capable of beating a quality team.

We’ll have more in-depth analysis of the game over the next few days, but for now here are some of my quick thoughts on the Steelers victory.

Offense

This unit was hot and cold all day. At times in the game the offense seemed inept, but at other times they were unstoppable. They need to become more consistent, but this offense has the potential to be special.

Ladarius Green finally had his breakout game with the Steelers. He started the day with a drop, but after that he played near-flawlessly. He frequently made clutch catches and even scored a touchdown. Green showed today why we gave him that big contract and he will be a key asset as we enter the final stretch of the season.

Saying Antonio Brown had a great game is basically repetitive at this point. Brown got the Steelers their first score of the game on a very impressive acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone. He also had a ridiculous catch later in the game where he dragged his toe and maybe had an inch of green between his foot and the sideline. Brown proves week after week why he is one of the best in the league.

Defense

What a day for our defense. They held the Giants to a very impressive 234 yards.

The Steelers have the #1 ranked red zone defense in the NFL and they once again thrived in this area. The Steelers got two red zone picks as well as a few 4th down stops.

One of these picks was by the Lawrence Timmons. Early in the season I had believed this was Timmons last season in Pittsburgh, but after his high level of play in recent games I now thing he will be back next year. Timmons showed his athleticism and instincts with a leaping interception and even returned it for solid yards. There must be something in the water that makes these old men like Timmons and James Harrison play like young bucks.

Mike Mitchell also continued his impressive play today. He was rock solid in coverage all day and played with his typical tone-setting, hard-hitting style. He did a great job covering Odell Beckham Jr as well.

I also have to talk about the rookies. Sean Davis and Artie Burns both played great today. Sean Davis got his first career pick (the first of many) which also came in the red zone. Both rookies also displayed impressive tackling, an area where they have clearly grown over the course of the season. Burns and Davis tied with Timmons as the teams leading tacklers with 7, both also notched a tackle for loss. The arrow is pointing up for this duo and their growth will be key for this defense. Javon Hargrave unfortunately left the game early with a concussion, but hopefully he gets better soon.

Final Thoughts

I’m ecstatic with today’s game, but it certainly wasn’t perfect. The biggest weakness today was by far penalties. The Steelers ended the day with 12 penalities for 115 yards – roughly half of the Giants total yards. Many of these penalties were on special teams and also negated some first downs. If this team is going to be a contender, this magnitude of penalties is unacceptable.

A major takeaway today is something we have all known for awhile: the Steelers greatest enemy is themselves. The offense today showed flashes of brilliance and at times couldn’t be stopped. The defense showed that they can be dominant and get sacks and turnovers, but they also got tricked by a few plays, in particular a screen pass touchdown to Rashad Jennings. If the Steelers can get more disciplined and consistent, the sky is the limit for this team.

This game was also significant because the Steelers proved that they are capable of beating quality teams. Our last two wins came against the subpar Browns and the Andrew Luck-less Colts. Many thought these games were gimme’s and proved nothing. After today, the Steelers proved that they are able to step up their game and compete with the best.

A special shout-out to Randy Bullock as well. He was signed by the Steelers just this weekend and managed to go 3/3 with his field goals and 1/1 with extra points. Considering the turmoil the Steelers have experienced with kickers in recent years, these numbers are incredible.

Next week the Steelers play the Buffalo Bills and I can already hear people calling this a trap game. However, if the Steelers can maintain their momentum from these past three weeks they should have no problems beating the Bills on their home turf.