Once again it was not pretty, but the Steelers secured a victory over the Broncos 13-6. The offense struggled to gain momentum but did enough to get the win. The defense was dominant and held off a late surge by the Broncos.
Justin Fields got the start again and managed the game effectively, avoiding turnovers and throwing his first touchdown of the season, a quick strike to Mt. Washington. His numbers were paltry passing for only 117 yards and rushing for 27. He had a couple of big plays overturned on questionable holding calls.
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren provided a solid ground game and began to wear out the stout Denver defense. They gained 141 yards with Harris carrying the majority share with 69 bruising yards.
The offensive line was inconsistent and struggled. Brodrick Jones had a tough day, getting nabbed for a whopping 25 yards on one series. One of the holding calls was questionable at best but it negated the biggest play of the day. The line is still finding its’ rhythm.
The defensive line was a bright spot, generating pressure and stopping the run. Cam Heyward had a big day and was in the backfield on nearly every snap he played. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith continued their strong play, contributing for two sacks and four tackles for a loss. Watt’s sack looked like he hit Bo Nix with an RKO.
The secondary had a strong game, with Cory Trice Jr. securing his first interception, which crushed any momentum Denver had. DeShon Elliott and Damontae Kazee made key plays in the run defense and Bo Nix could never really get the passing game going.
The special teams unit performed well, with Chris Boswell making both his field goals and Corliss Waitman punted effectively coming off the street this week. Ben Skowronek’s contributions on special teams were valuable. The return games both struggled and once again were hit costly penalties.
The officiating was almost as awful as the first week and way too intrusive in the game. Too many ticky tacky calls that slowed down both teams.
It is pretty clear what the game plan is going to be this year. It is Mike Tomlin’s signature keep the ball away from the other team and punish them when they have it. The team will need to adjust their offensive approach to compete against stronger opponents, especially in the upcoming game against the Chargers.
The Steelers sit at 2-0
BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!
My “GAME BEER” goes to: T.J. Watt, he such a disruptive force on the edge. The stats don’t even come close to telling his story. His sack looked like Bo Nix didn’t know what hit him. Also Considered: Corliss Waitman who came off the street and did a good job punting. The Defensive line led by Cam was just devastating.
Beer of the Game: Stuck with Miller Lite, was at a great bar in Florida called, Hap and Hooch and stuck with Miller Lite. KGB drank Old Fashions for the game.
“Steel the Snacks”: We had to punt on this and had two types of Wings at Hap and Hooch. Wings were outstanding and the service and people were great, despite being a Packers bar.
My Stat of the week: The Steelers defense only have given up one touchdown this season, on a controversial call against Atlanta. They held the Broncos under 300 yards and stuffed their run game for 64 yards. Those are championship caliber stats.
My Thoughts on next week: A very tough home opener against a fellow undefeated team in the Los Angeles Chargers. This will be the first real test of the defense as the Chargers have demolished everyone they faced so far.
Jersey of the Week: No Jersey this week, I went with a BWGSteelers baseball jersey and BWG shirt. NEW SHIRTS WILL BE OUT WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.