My final gameday thoughts on Steelers vs. Other Jets today here in the swamps:
• Wonderful to hear that the team and Cam Heyward did, as I'd coincidentally suggested in this space yesterday, find a creative, not-all-that-precedent-setting way to appease Heyward's clumsy plea for more pay heading into the 2025 season.
There's no way Omar Khan's happy with reopening a three-year extension when it's one-third complete. There's no way Heyward's happy with not receiving so much as an extra penny of guaranteed money, which had been his most prominent complaint. And, last I checked, anytime all parties are unhappy with a resolution ... there's a really good chance it's resolved.
Whatever. If Heyward cashes in on his new $3.2 million in incentives, all of which are tied to playoff success, then everyone will reverse course and be happier than they've been in forever.
• That said ... oh, Omar ... tying this to the team's playoff success is, given how little the Steelers have known with Heyward ... that's chef's-kiss material there, man.
• Back to basics: Win the damned game.
And to outdo this particular opponent, that'll almost certainly be cemented -- or not -- on the ground. Beginning with Heyward and the defensive line stuffing Justin Fields, Breece Hall and anyone else applying new New York coach Aaron Glenn's approach to run more often and more effectively.
Having Heyward, obviously, will help. But remember that Derrick Harmon's going to miss a month to his knee injury and that Yahya Black wasn't utilized in heavy volume throughout the preseason, so the real burden will fall to Keeanu Benton and ... Isaiahh Loudermilk?
Oh, you bet ...
Yep, he'll be the starting left end in the 3-4 base, and he'll be there in large part for the same reason, as he and I discussed above in that talk Friday on the South Side, he was gleefully selected by Kevin Colbert -- and I mean Colbert was ecstatic with this one -- in the fifth round in 2021 out of Wisconsin. Because he was big, strong and stout on the run.
It's taken a while, but the dude's fresh off a fine camp and seems set for this challenge.
If good things do, indeed, happen to good people, he'll pop off. He's a gem.
• The counterparts could be even more pivotal. Because if Broderick Jones and the rest of the offensive line can poke holes for Jaylen Warren, Kenny Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson, that'd simplify so, so much. In addition to bolstering their confidence, which might matter more than anything on this day toward the longer outlook, it'll afford Aaron Rodgers and his various targets a little more time to come together, thereby addressing my actual believe-it-or-not biggest concern for this offense in this opener. Timing's beyond critical with Rodgers and, even if he's set, that can't make everyone else the same.
I like where the line trended later in the preseason, Jones included. I've liked even more Jones' demeanor of late. Seems more himself, more comfortable. As he was as a rookie, when no one ever mentioned the kid's name.
• DK Metcalf vs. Sauce Gardner? Eh. It's a fun name matchup, but let's talk afterward.
Setting aside that Gardner's stats have across-the-board declined since his mind-blowing rookie season, not even a corner of his striking stature -- 6-3, 190 -- can sufficiently cover Metcalf. And I'll double-down on that because, to my point above about timing, no one's shown to be in sync with Rodgers this summer quite like Metcalf. He turns around, and the ball's already there.
• Word of warning: I'm not interested in a syllable of complaint from anyone anywhere, no matter how this afternoon unfolds, that this guy was shipped away:
Three catches for 30 yards, and half of those yards were handed right back with the Cowboys having first-and-10 at the Philadelphia 11 because of that idiocy up there.
Be glad he's gone. I can promise the Steelers are.
• My key to victory's as boring as can be: Tackle the football.
If everyone on the defensive side can unleash their inner DeShon Elliott, there's no rational reason to lose. Because Fields won't beat anyone if forced to overthrow, Hall isn't exactly a hundred-yard lock, and there just isn't enough else on that offense to hold the ball, let alone grunt their way through drive after drive after drive.
No, that's not a prediction. I don't do those. It's underscoring what should be a real strength on one side, a real weakness on the other.
• Today opens the 91st official season of our city's beloved and historic NFL franchise. And while it's hardly comparable to having that happen back home, it's still special, still something I never take for granted in doing nothing more than traveling around to document it, which I've done to varying degrees since 1997.
These Steelers, like the first 90 editions, will enthrall, and they'll disappoint, even disgust. That's part of football, part of fandom. But there aren't many locales anywhere in the world locked together with a single franchise the way Pittsburgh is with this one, and that's always worth celebrating.
THE ASYLUM
DK: My final gameday thoughts
My final gameday thoughts on Steelers vs. Other Jets today here in the swamps:
• Wonderful to hear that the team and Cam Heyward did, as I'd coincidentally suggested in this space yesterday, find a creative, not-all-that-precedent-setting way to appease Heyward's clumsy plea for more pay heading into the 2025 season.
There's no way Omar Khan's happy with reopening a three-year extension when it's one-third complete. There's no way Heyward's happy with not receiving so much as an extra penny of guaranteed money, which had been his most prominent complaint. And, last I checked, anytime all parties are unhappy with a resolution ... there's a really good chance it's resolved.
Whatever. If Heyward cashes in on his new $3.2 million in incentives, all of which are tied to playoff success, then everyone will reverse course and be happier than they've been in forever.
• That said ... oh, Omar ... tying this to the team's playoff success is, given how little the Steelers have known with Heyward ... that's chef's-kiss material there, man.
• Back to basics: Win the damned game.
And to outdo this particular opponent, that'll almost certainly be cemented -- or not -- on the ground. Beginning with Heyward and the defensive line stuffing Justin Fields, Breece Hall and anyone else applying new New York coach Aaron Glenn's approach to run more often and more effectively.
Having Heyward, obviously, will help. But remember that Derrick Harmon's going to miss a month to his knee injury and that Yahya Black wasn't utilized in heavy volume throughout the preseason, so the real burden will fall to Keeanu Benton and ... Isaiahh Loudermilk?
Oh, you bet ...
Yep, he'll be the starting left end in the 3-4 base, and he'll be there in large part for the same reason, as he and I discussed above in that talk Friday on the South Side, he was gleefully selected by Kevin Colbert -- and I mean Colbert was ecstatic with this one -- in the fifth round in 2021 out of Wisconsin. Because he was big, strong and stout on the run.
It's taken a while, but the dude's fresh off a fine camp and seems set for this challenge.
If good things do, indeed, happen to good people, he'll pop off. He's a gem.
• The counterparts could be even more pivotal. Because if Broderick Jones and the rest of the offensive line can poke holes for Jaylen Warren, Kenny Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson, that'd simplify so, so much. In addition to bolstering their confidence, which might matter more than anything on this day toward the longer outlook, it'll afford Aaron Rodgers and his various targets a little more time to come together, thereby addressing my actual believe-it-or-not biggest concern for this offense in this opener. Timing's beyond critical with Rodgers and, even if he's set, that can't make everyone else the same.
I like where the line trended later in the preseason, Jones included. I've liked even more Jones' demeanor of late. Seems more himself, more comfortable. As he was as a rookie, when no one ever mentioned the kid's name.
• DK Metcalf vs. Sauce Gardner? Eh. It's a fun name matchup, but let's talk afterward.
Setting aside that Gardner's stats have across-the-board declined since his mind-blowing rookie season, not even a corner of his striking stature -- 6-3, 190 -- can sufficiently cover Metcalf. And I'll double-down on that because, to my point above about timing, no one's shown to be in sync with Rodgers this summer quite like Metcalf. He turns around, and the ball's already there.
• Word of warning: I'm not interested in a syllable of complaint from anyone anywhere, no matter how this afternoon unfolds, that this guy was shipped away:
Three catches for 30 yards, and half of those yards were handed right back with the Cowboys having first-and-10 at the Philadelphia 11 because of that idiocy up there.
Be glad he's gone. I can promise the Steelers are.
• My key to victory's as boring as can be: Tackle the football.
If everyone on the defensive side can unleash their inner DeShon Elliott, there's no rational reason to lose. Because Fields won't beat anyone if forced to overthrow, Hall isn't exactly a hundred-yard lock, and there just isn't enough else on that offense to hold the ball, let alone grunt their way through drive after drive after drive.
No, that's not a prediction. I don't do those. It's underscoring what should be a real strength on one side, a real weakness on the other.
• Today opens the 91st official season of our city's beloved and historic NFL franchise. And while it's hardly comparable to having that happen back home, it's still special, still something I never take for granted in doing nothing more than traveling around to document it, which I've done to varying degrees since 1997.
These Steelers, like the first 90 editions, will enthrall, and they'll disappoint, even disgust. That's part of football, part of fandom. But there aren't many locales anywhere in the world locked together with a single franchise the way Pittsburgh is with this one, and that's always worth celebrating.
Enjoy the year, my friends.
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