The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to roll while the rest of their division continues to crumble.
Now at 4-1, the Steelers are the only team to have a winning record in the AFC North, and have taken the first of six opportunities to widen their lead against their rival teams with a 23-9 win against Cleveland on Sunday.
The Browns are reeling at 1-5 amid a ton of media speculation over their starting and backup quarterbacks, and the Steelers will face an ex-Browns quarterback in Joe Flacco on Thursday.
But before we think about that game, I have some thoughts on this win.
1: Boring Can Be Beautiful
This was an easy-viewing, relaxed game for the Steelers. And it was beautiful.
Week 1 in New York against the Jets was a rollercoaster of a game against a team that, at the time, looked a lot more competitive than they actually are. It took a Chris Boswell field goal with 1:06 left and a big-time hit by Jalen Ramsey to seal a 34-32 win for the Steelers.
Week 3 saw the Steelers force five turnovers against Drake Maye and the New England Patriots, but it was still a one-score game on the final New England drive. For all their work, the Steelers still needed their defense to make one more stand.
Week 4 had the Steelers comfortably in control until the fourth quarter, where Minnesota staged a late-game comeback that saw them bring a 24-6 deficit all the way to 24-21 before the Steelers needed their defense to shut the door on the final drive.
This was the first win that was boring. Yes, Aaron Rodgers made some spectacular throws, and the defense had a great day against Dillon Gabriel and the Cleveland offense. But this game was never in danger for the Steelers. It wasn’t the nail-biting, tension-filled ending that accompanies most Steeler games.
Even if the Steelers usually find a way to pull out those one-score wins, wasn’t it nice to not have to do that for a week?
2: TJ Watt Wins This Battle
TJ Watt and Myles Garrett will be linked together for…well, forever I guess. The debate over who is better continues to rage on. I think I know where every Browns fan stands on that issue, and I am confident I know where every Steelers fan stands.
But there was no question as to who was the better player on Sunday. Watt finished with half a sack, five total tackles, two passes broken up, and three quarterback hurries. Was it his best day ever on the field? Not at all. But it was miles better than Garrett, who finished with just two tackles.
Watt didn’t have his most productive day, but he was at least noticeable all over the field. You saw No. 90 constantly involved in plays or at least near the action. We couldn’t say the same for Garrett in this game.
Offensive lineman Broderick Jones deserves massive, massive praise for that. Jones has certainly had his struggles over the course of this season, and his career, but he was sensational today. That was the kind of lineman the Steelers hoped they were getting when they traded up to select him 14th overall two years ago.
3: A Potential Breakout Year For Nick Herbig?
For us folks back in Pittsburgh, Nick Herbig doesn’t need an introduction. Even though he is behind TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith, Herbig has developed quite the standing of his own with the Steelers.
But perhaps it’s time he is more well-known on the national stage. A strong breakout year would make him the next in a lengthy list of notable Steeler defenders, and he’s well on his way to shattering career-highs.
Now in his third year in the NFL, Herbig already has 4.5 sacks on the year after adding a pair of takedowns against Dillon Gabriel today. Half of his 12 total tackles on the year are for losses.
On the season, he also has an interception and two passes defended. He’s doing this as only a part-time starter as well. Herbig stepped into the starting spot alongside Watt while Highsmith dealt with injury, but he’s only had two starts this season.
It’s a testament to the team’s strength at that position that a player like Herbig is a backup by definition. But make no mistake, he has immense talent, and he looks poised to do some really special things this season. I’m really excited to continue to watch him.
4: Some Steelers Bingo Card Moments
While the game was overall mundane in comparison to the usual Steeler-game antics, there was certainly some randomness and unpredictable moments.
Roman Wilson caught a pass. It was just his second reception in the NFL and set a new career-long of 12 yards. Maybe, just maybe, it’s the start of Wilson’s true involvement in the offense. I mean, there’s nowhere to go but up, right?
Connor Heyward caught a touchdown pass. The tight end and occasional fullback, who has averaged 7.5 offensive snaps a game so far this season, was in the right place at the right time when Rodgers was directing traffic on the run.
Mason Rudolph took snaps as well. Rodgers, who seemed content to stay on the sideline for the final few momets, watched on as the Steelers sent out Rudolph to take the victory formation snaps.
Who would have thought that any of those would have happened this weekend, let alone all three?
If you were playing one of the crazier sets of Steelers Bingo, congratulations to you!
5: The Field
Alright, I feel like I have to at least mention the field conditions at Acrisure Stadium. Towards the end of that game, the field looked terrible. It was all brown and beaten up. It looked dead.
But the effects of it went far beyond just looking back on television. The poor conditions led to Chris Boswell’s first true missed field goal of the season (the other no-good kick was blocked against Minnesota).
The Steelers are lucky that one, this didn’t matter all that much on the scoreboard, and two, that Boswell didn’t suffer an injury from the awkward twist he had going down.
Rodgers criticized the field conditions after the game, and as previously planned, the surface is already being replaced. But man, losing Boswell, or any player for that matter, to that torn-up field would have been a disaster. Here’s to hoping it looks a lot better when the Steelers are back at home, hosting Green Bay on October 26th.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
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