The Steelers snapped a three-game losing streak beating the Denver Broncos 27-19, by playing solid defense and running the football. The Steelers got up early, never trailed and made the big plays when needed.
Despite facing a top five run defense, the Steelers ran the ball effectively, going for a season-high 147 yards and taking the air out of the football for most of the game. Najee Harris had the breakout game everyone was waiting for, grinding out 122 yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He missed part of the fourth quarter with what looked like leg cramps, Benny Snell picked up the workload and added 20 more yards. It was the best performance by a Steelers running back tandem in well over a year.
Ben Roethlisberger had a solid if unspectacular game. He passed for 253 yards with two touchdowns. He managed the game well, hit most of the big passes he needed including an opening drive strike to Diontae Johnson that gave the Steelers the lead. The Steelers have now scored on the opening drive twice in two weeks. Johnson had only two catches but raked in 72 yards, and Chase Claypool continues to prove he is a big threat with five catches for 130 yards including a touchdown. With solid protection and running lanes being forced open by the offensive line, the Steelers played their most balance offensive game in over a year. The only negative Sunday is it looks like JuJu Smith-Schuster could be done for the season.
It was a tale of two halves for the defense. The first half, the Broncos had little room to operate and only managed two field goals, one of which was on a Roethlisberger turnover on the Steelers side of the field, the other was a busted running play that went for 49-yards by Javonte Williams late in the second quarter. The front seven held the Broncos to just 57 more yards on the ground and harassed Teddy Bridgewater, Devin Bush chipped in with a huge sack before leaving the game with an injury.
The defense however struggles when the pass rush struggles and in the second half, it was just a step too slow. Teddy Bridgewater racked up big second half numbers and put together a huge fourth quarter, he passed for 232 yards of his 288 yards in the game. In the fourth he connected on two touchdowns, one to Courtland Sutton on a 39-yard catch, where Sutton burned James Pierre and one to Kendall Hilton on a big fourth down conversion. The pass rush all but disappeared, none of the outside linebackers recorded a sack. Crowd favorite Henry Mondeaux recorded the only sack of the half.
The Broncos converted three of four, fourth down tries and were driving for the tying touchdown when James Pierre picked off Bridgewater, thwarting the comeback. It was a good effort by the defense, but they need to react better to adjustments and fix the ailing pass rush.
Give the special teams credit again, they had another good week. Pressley Harvin III had a great bounce back week, nailing two punts for 119 yards including a booming 63 yarder that flipped the field around. Chris Boswell continued his excellent 2021 campaign hitting two field goals. The coverage units were strong, the return units had some penalty issues, but all and all it was another good week.
This was the offensive performance that everyone has been looking for over the last two season. The Steelers need to run the football, play solid defense and take the pressure off Ben Roethlisberger.
Beer We Go Steelers, Beer We Go!
My “GAME BEER” goes to: Najee Harris, he had his first 100+ yard game and solidified the long dormant running game. Also Considered: Little Bos, who again drilled a clutch field goal and was 2-2 (48, 43) on the day and hit a 50+ that was taken off the board on a Broncos penalty.
Beer of the Game: Went with two different Beers this week, Pabst Blue Ribbon Pounders and went with Yuengling Lite from Pottsville Pennsylvania. Both are solid drinkable beers, much like the Steelers defense yesterday, not spectacular but good.
“Steel the Snacks”: KGB was on the shelf this week! I stepped in and made a few different kinds of sliders. Cheeseburger Sliders with American, Hot Sausage Sliders with Provolone and Turkey Burger Sliders with Cheddar. My Dad came for the game for the first time in several season. Hamburgers are a signature dish of Denver and quite frankly I was not interested in making Bull’s balls as a snack, the other Denver ‘favorite’.
My Stat of the week: Of course it is 122 yards for Najee Harris, making him the first Steelers running back to run for 100+ yards since week six last year (James Conner, 101-yards) and the first 100+ yard rushing game for a Steelers rookie since Jaylen Samuels did it against the Patriots in 2018.
My Thoughts on next week: This is a winnable primetime game. The Steelers need to run the ball and they can beat the Seahawks.
This week’s Jersey: L.C. Greenwood, 68, 1933 Throwback, while no one has any idea that it is a Steelers jersey it is one of my favorites and I wear it when we need a big win!