Pittsburgh welcomed Tennessee to Heinz Field last Thursday night and the Steelers thumping of the Titans offered Steelers Nation a sight for sore eyes, as the offense exploded for 40 points while the defense delivered no fewer than 9 splash plays. This week brings Green Bay back to two, but before we can focus on stuffing our Thanksgiving Turkeys, this corner of Steelers Nation must first resolve these 5 Smoldering Questions on the Steelers.
1. While many areas on the depth chart have performed well throughout this season, one position area that has excelled without any need to tack on any qualifiers what so ever is the Steelers 2017 defensive line. It’s hard to find a game where Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Javon Hargrave and/or Tyson Alualu haven’t stepped up and made a play.
Do you think it is appropriate to start comparing this line to the trio of Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel? If not, defend your decision to decline. If so, expound upon your reasoning and offer and assessment of which line merits a higher rating.
2. Our own Homer J. began his postgame assessment by asserting, “Yinzer Cult of Doom’s weekly post-game Bitchfest and Kvetching Bee has been postponed for lack of material.” Nice as that would be, the morning after the game found no shortage of naysayers who used the game as “proof” of Todd Haley’s incompetence, given the success of the no huddle.
We’ll side step that debate here, to a point. While the Steelers did score 40 points, they did so employing an offensive attack that more resembled the West Coast offense than the NFL equivalent of Daenerys Targaryen and her Dragons as much of Steelers Nation expected to see.
Do you think that Chinking and Dinking is the way for this offense to go, given how effective Ben looked Thursday night?
3. The Steelers Secondary had four interceptions against the Titans, yet it has now given up 3 touchdown passes for over 60 yards in the last 6 quarters of play. Which tendency do you think will prove to be more relevant going forward?
4. As you know, the glow of the Steelers’ five straight wins was mitigated slightly by the news of Marcus Gilbert’s four game suspension for performance enhancers. Gilbert wasted little time in apologizing for his “inadvertent use” of the said enhancers.
Do you believe his use was “inadvertent” and if you do and his use was in fact inadvertent, do you think he was right not to appeal the suspension?
5. The upside to the suspension of Marcus Gilbert means that the Steelers did not have to send out the Turk to free a roster spot to activate Cam Sutton. Cam Sutton’s IR activation is perhaps the most highly anticipated IR activation since that of David DeCastro in 2013. Bob Labriola reminded fans just last week that Sutton has only played a handful of quarters in in preseason.
Nontheless, fans remain enthusiastic about his arrival to the active roster.
Will this kid make a contribution down the stretch or not? You Make The Call!