How the Steelers switched things up at Heinz Field to defeat the Patriots

As myself and SCU contributor, Zach Metkler strolled into Heinz Field on Sunday for the highly anticipated grudge match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, we could sense there was an air about the building.

Sometimes people throw around the word “playoff atmosphere” for any plain ol’ setting, but I can tell you that’s precisely how the 65,000+ fans in attendance reacted when called upon in the game’s biggest moments.

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Prior to the crowd volume getting amped up, the air surrounding the stadium was a bit different. This was, after all, a Steelers team who had dropped their last three games: two of which were to “subpar” opponents. As the weekend’s games played out and the rest of the AFC North won, including victories over those two teams the Steelers struggled and lost to, there was doubt as to how Pittsburgh would match up against the New England Patriots.

The Patriots have played Goliath to the Steelers David for years, with the latter unable to unseat the giant since 2011. The Patriots are for all intents and purposes a dynasty; one which is led by one of the greatest coaches and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

The Black and Gold were a team trending downward. Surely the Patriots would embarrass them and put one more nail in the coffin of their dying 2018 season.

Yet, the Steelers had different plans… and those plans materialized from the start of last week’s preparations. With a struggling placekicker, the team brought in two more bodies for a competition and doubled-down by bringing in their previous successful kicker, Shaun Suisham, in a mentorship role.

The team also brought in a defensive consultant who once worked with New York Giants teams that had success against the Patriots.

Late Saturday Pittsburgh also made an awkward announcement: they would be wearing their “color rush” jerseys to play the Patriots. The move was previously unannounced and also unexpected, as teams typically wore their special uniforms for Thursday Night Football games. That requirement was lifted heading into this season, yet, the change was a surprise as the Steelers already wore their color rush kit earlier in the year and also donned throwback jerseys in October.

Was it slapping a bow on a pig and trying to sell it as something else? Or was there an extra motivation behind the move, as the franchise had gone 3-0 when wearing their all-black set?

We would soon find out. However, those weren’t the only alternations the team made leading up to what was defined as a “must-win” game. They finally made a decision on the future of Marcus Gilbert by placing him on injured reserve and activating slot receiver Eli Rogers, who had not played in a game since January’s playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

That move was made because of a late Friday injury to their other slot receiver, Ryan Switzer, who the team traded for before the beginning of the season when Rogers wasn’t ready.

Then game day came. The stands filled with fans and everyone was concerned with how the game would play out. Which Steelers team would show: the one making mistakes and defeating themselves? Or the team that ripped off six-straight wins and was tabbed as a Super Bowl contender to start the season?

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As those fans stood in anticipation as the Patriots took the field, a highlight film played on the scoreboard, per the usual pregame protocol. A giant Terrible Towel was unfurled on the field by those lucky fans who were selected for the opportunity.

It was then that I looked over to Zach and quipped, “Who gets introduced today? The offense or the defense?”

Typically, a loud steel mill-like whistle will alert fans to the coming introductions, where one side of the ball is typically called out name-by-name, down to the captain on that side of the ball. In such a big game, with so much on the line, I awaited the decision on which side the organization felt deserved the honor for this afternoon.

The Steelers public address announcer then proclaimed “Ladies and gentlemen, your Pittsburgh Steelers”. Several players came out of the tunnel as we guessed which ones would stay for the pregame ceremony.

But then we noticed… Stephon TuittMaurkice PounceyAlejandro Villanueva… and finally Ben Roethlisberger, who immediately goes to the sideline with his center and starts rapidly taking practice snaps to get their cadence down.

For what might be a Heinz Field first, there were no pregame introductions. It was clear from the beginning the Steelers meant business and that continued through the coin toss, where I felt they were foolishly being aggressive by taking the ball first after winning the toss: Patriots head coach Bill Belichick loves to defer and receive the ball to start the second half.

Were they playing right into the Patriots hands?

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The kickoff ensued and the game was underway. The first play looked like a drive killer immediately: an incomplete deep pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster. Then a short pass to Antonio Brown.

The Steelers were on the brink of a 3-and-out to start the game, but it was the returning Eli Rogers who converted his first target into a first down and moved the chains. His first catch or even first snaps of the season had us perplexed as to how the Steelers would mix their slot receivers. In fact, Brown and Smith-Schuster often play the slot: and that’s precisely how the offense deployed them.

Throughout the evening the Steelers exploited mismatches by placing their two 1,000+ yard receivers on the interior, targeting the weakest part of the Patriots defense. TE Vance McDonald, a huge target, was seen on the outside numbers, while on the other side of the field, Switzer and Rogers rotated their quick routes between one another, creating a nightmare situation for the Patriots.

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Skeptics weren’t sure about the Steelers offensive line or rookie RB Jaylen Samuels lining up in the backfield: they were silenced as Samuels surged to a breakout performance with 172 all-purpose yards.

The Steelers continued to adjust and kept their focus throughout the game, limiting penalties and sustaining long drives. They also made adjustments on defense, where they stood pat, shutting down Rob Gronkowski to only two catches for 21 yards and holding the league’s sixth-highest scoring offense to only ten total points while harassing Tom Brady into making bad decisions.

The game came as a bit of a surprise to those onlookers who weren’t seeing the entire picture in previous games. Yes, this time around Big Ben threw two interceptions and Chris Boswell missed another field goal attempt. But it was the defense who came up with some three-and-out’s, as well as a timely interception by Joe Haden, to help flip the tables.

It could be said that any endeavor has a mental or emotional component to it, and the same could be said for how the Steelers prepared to turn their season around with a huge win over New England. From forgoing the pleasantries early and continuing to play a balanced, yet aggressive style, the team finally returned to form at a time when it was most needed.

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Most importantly, they were finally able to play the full role of David… and finally topple Goliath.


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