The Dream (Special) Team
The Yinzer status quo is to incomprehensibly overreact to anything and everything the Steelers do, and to have our boys in black and gold kick off the NFL preseason with all of the lights in them is a blessing and I would be remiss to not perform the duty of my motherland. The nation’s premier quarterback battle between Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins obviously has a lot on the bone, but that low hanging fruit is blooming on twitter. Militias of unemployed middle aged men and women are typing in all caps with fury to defend their QB2 and they each saw enough to stand on the table and die on the hill of their mediocre gunslinger with character questions. Watching the cowboys continue to struggle with their glut of linebackers with countless intangibles (Micah Parsons off the field, Jabril Cox falling in the draft, Jaylon Smith looking geriatric, LVE following the Sean Lee gameplan of a white cowboy collar ILB with horrible knees, Keanu Neal having to slide down into the box with Malik Hooker joining the squad) was also fun, but Hard Knocks will give that dumpster fire its due diligence and make the steep price of HBO Max worth it.
Like a real Steelers fan, I did not sleep much after watching a meaningless game because I read way too much into practice squad players running around hot because they’re finally on the big stage. Nothing excites the washed-up athlete in me like untapped youthful excitement between the white lines. Some players, unfortunately, didn’t show that spirit. Justin Layne spent the offseason in limbo with a run in with Pittsburgh police appending his fight for the CB3 spot in the wake of the departure of my sweetheart, Mike Hilton, and Steven Nelson. Projections in camp were that Cam Sutton was confidently locked into the flank opposite Joe Haden, but Layne was a slight favorite over James Pierre for the slot. What no one talked about, however, was the insane depth in the secondary the Steelers showed us last night. Kevin Colbert waited until the seventh round to draft a DB in Tre Norwood out of Oklahoma, but he has had a great camp and looked fantastic in coverage last night. Another surprise was the undrafted corner out of Duke, Mark Gilbert. The Steeler’s splash UDFA was Shakur Brown, the corner out of Michigan State who tumbled on draft boards due to shaky physical stats during his pro day. Brown looked strong and fast (middle finger to Mel Kiper) on kickoff team, but through his wake emerged Gilbert. Gilbert showed insane closing speed when defending comeback and hitch routes, and put together some impressive break ups on crossing routes from the outside. He also wears number 17, which looks incredibly athletic on a corner.
Another surprise was Miles Killebrew. The former Lion projected to be a locker room presence and special teamer, like a fullback who invites the team over for dinner every Thursday. Instead, he changed his number from 35 to 28, a solid move for aesthetics, and had snaps on defense across the whole game. He put together some strong tackles and directed younger players with confidence when Dallas put out motions and unseen sets. Killebrew’s impact could be huge if he is kept on the 53 man roster, as he could tackle better than Terrell Edmunds and cover better than Robert Spillane. With the loss of an insane swiss army knife in Mike Hilton, Keith Butler might have a new toy to play with.
The Justin Layne experiment is clearly over, and another letdown appeared in the pairing that came in late with Steven Denmark and Lamont Wade. Multiple times in the 4th quarter, miscommunications between the safety and corner let up too many yards to flood concepts on bootlegs. Denmark was a confusing signing, as he’s kind of bounced around other training camps for a while and never done much, but Lamont Wade not showing up is disappointing for many. Wade was a WPIAL star at a 1A school, worked his way into the mix through multiple position changes at Penn State, and his return to Pittsburgh was going to cap off the dream that every beer-gutted dude wearing a Jack Lambert jersey in a lawn chair in his front yard has had. As a completely impartial Ohio State Buckeye, seeing a Penn State product fizzle out doesn’t shake me too much, but the story would’ve been capped off nicely if he played well. Much like the Grinch, however, my tiny heart for him grew by watching another huge part of the game.
Most of the roster is cemented in for the Steelers. A couple of starting spots are in the air, but the core is fairly locked in. There are spots that remain, however, where legends can be made. The inspirational speed and intensity that had me seeing a seventh Lombardi told me that the special teams we see this year will be immaculate. Names like Ross Ventrone and Jordan Dangerfield can give these DBs hope to become a staple in the town as someone who runs their tail off during every kick and knock a returner’s helmet off during the beat drop of Zombie Nation. Shakur Brown had some acrobatic trip ups, Quincy Roche popped some blockers even after recording a smooth outside rip and sack in the third quarter, and reciever Matthew Sexton took a punt for an electrifying return that made Bill Belichek toss and turn at night for missing out on a short white receiver with medium length hair. Lamont Wade always made an impact on Penn State’s special teams, so his fiery style could earn him a spot as an upback on the punt team. I would be an absolute fool to ignore the punting battery as well. Snapper Christian Kuntz is another Pittsburgher poster boy, as he graduated from Chartiers Valley and Duquesne before working out with Mt. Lebanon coaches until the Steelers finally gave him his shot. Seventh round draft pick Pressley Harvin III turned heads, dropping dimes with his big foot. Harvin is going to be a fan favorite for a while, mostly because he is bigger than the average specialist and still succeeds at kicking, much like former Penn State kicker Joey Julius. There is countless question marks with character in the receiving corps, Matt Canada’s offense, depth at inside linebacker, the father-son dynamic of the offensive line, and Ben’s withering body, but the intangibles of strong special teams may sure those up.
There is a clear momentum gain in field position, so being able to pin teams inside the 20 on a consistent basis makes everyone’s job easier. What isn’t talked about, however, is the pride in being a thumper every few plays. The brotherhood of those under-appreciated teams creates a culture and spirit that is palpable and contagious on a sideline. Watching a deep kick or a shifty run with crisp blocking inspires the offense or defense that follows them onto the field. The idea of being a Steeler and the pride in those colors feels so back and the culture is at an all time high after watching the excitement in all stages of the game last night, and for that reason, I am happy to renew my Steelers fandom for another awe-inspiring and gut-wrenching season.
