Top 5 things we discovered about Steelers: Cupcake part of time table comes to an stop

Tough checks on horizon

If the Steelers played NCAA basketball, based totally on the primary month of scheduling, critics would have pegged the group’s educate as Jamie Dixon and not Mike Tomlin.

Based on the facts of their first 4 warring parties, the Steelers opened in opposition to some of the NFL’s cupcakes, if you'll, just like Dixon notoriously did to ease Pitt right into a season at some stage in his tenure.

The groups the Steelers have crushed at the same time as collecting a 4-0 start — the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles — have a mixed three-15-1 document. Now comes the meatier part of the Steelers time table, which incorporates the start of “conference play,” to borrow another NCAA hoops reference.

The team’s mettle can be tested over the following three weeks with a home sport against the 4-1 Cleveland Browns and journeys to the 3-0 Tennessee Titans (supplied that sport still gets played) and 4-1 Baltimore Ravens. Then, the Steelers will make a 3rd consecutive avenue journey, playing at the two-3 Dallas Cowboys.

While enthusiasts have a good time over the Steelers getting off to their first-rate start on the grounds that 1979, a lot extra might be gleaned approximately this crew’s season based on how they cope with this subsequent quad of games.

Line dancing

The Steelers survived another harm at the offensive line as former All-Pro defend David DeCastro left in the first sector with an belly injury and did now not go back. Tomlin didn’t provide a whole lot records on DeCastro in his postgame interview other than to impeach the defend’s availability this week.

Center Maurkice Pouncey also walked off the sector late within the fourth sector with what Tomlin described as a foot damage. His popularity is also unknown. J.C. Hassenauer, playing his first NFL snaps, turned into at middle at the same time as the Steelers ran out the final 2 minutes, 10 seconds.

When Pouncey ignored the season finale remaining 12 months against Baltimore with a knee harm and served an earlier two-game suspension, the Steelers had dependable interior lineman B.J. Finney available to begin. This year, with Stefen Wisniewski on injured reserve with a pectoral damage, the Steelers might also want to rely on Hassenauer, who became warfare tested in college at Alabama however has been an understudy inside the pros.

At right shield, the Steelers might have rookie Kevin Dotson make his 2d NFL begin if DeCastro is not able to suit up against Cleveland.

Balancing act

The closing time Ben Roethlisberger played a full season, the Steelers have been the maximum pass-glad group within the NFL. Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards in 2018, however he also threw the maximum interceptions even as the Steelers overlooked the playoffs for the first time in five years.

The offense nonetheless is built around Roethlisberger’s surgically repaired right arm, but the run-bypass ratio is not so lopsided. With the wrinkle of the occasional jet sweep with the aid of Chase Claypool and a 58-yard end round by Ray-Ray McCloud thrown into the mixture, the Steelers had 136 yards dashing in opposition to the Eagles. The Steelers had 32 going for walks plays, such as a couple of kneel-downs, and 25 got here from traditional strolling backs James Conner, Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland. Roethlisberger tried 34 passes.

The preceding week, the Steelers had 38 incorporates, including 4 kneel-downs, for a season-high 169 yards. Roethlisberger placed the ball within the air 36 instances.

Such balance, specifically with the extra gadgetry, makes this offense much much less predictable and extra hard to protect.

Behold the large boys

Much become written approximately the prolific Eagles front 4 and the depth along the protective line, which covered former Steelers nostril address Javon Hargrave. The Eagles entered with an NFL-excessive 17 sacks but delivered down Roethlisberger just once.

The Steelers were greater a success against Carson Wentz, sacking the Eagles quarterback five times. Half of these sacks came from the shielding line, with Stephon Tuitt getting one and a 1/2 sack and Cameron Heyward getting any other.

Working his manner again from a pectoral damage that reduce his 2019 season in 1/2, Tuitt performed his pleasant recreation of the season, making five tackles and hitting Wentz 3 instances. He ranks 2d at the group with 3.Five sacks. Heyward, who combined for 29 sacks over the previous three seasons, has just 1.Five however continually can be determined in the backfield.

Seeing pink

With Roethlisberger out of fee for the very last 14 video games closing yr, it turned into not sudden the Steelers had the worst red-region efficiency in the NFL. The Steelers scored touchdowns on simply 35% of their trips inside the opposing team’s 20.

Even with Roethlisberger returned in the fold, the consequences weren’t instant this 12 months in terms of pink-sector landing performance. The Steelers have been 1 of three against Denver and 2 of five against Houston. That modified towards the Eagles, and it helped the Steelers reach the 30-point plateau for the primary time in 24 video games.

The Steelers spoke back with touchdowns on all 3 journeys in the Eagles 20. Claypool scored on a 2-backyard jet sweep within the first sector and a five-yard bypass out of a gaggle formation within the third, and Conner tacked on a 1-backyard landing after a Steven Nelson interception provided the offense a quick area.