Five things we learned from Steelers 26, Broncos 21
1. Third time’s the charm
The last two times the Steelers started 2-0, they made the playoffs. The last time they began a season with three consecutive wins, they reached the Super Bowl.
That provides a level of optimism for the Steelers heading into their Week 3 matchup against the Houston Texans at Heinz Field.
Bad starts in each of the past two seasons contributed to the Steelers coming up short of the postseason. They were 0-3 and 1-4 last season, and they were 1-2-1 to kick off 2018.
When the Steelers got off to 2-0 starts in the 2016-17 seasons, their third game each was played on the road. In 2016, they headed to Philadelphia and were thumped 34-3 behind rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. The next season, the winning streak was derailed by that disastrous trip to Chicago, which resulted in the national anthem snafu at Soldier Field. The Steelers lost to the Bears, 23-17, in overtime.
Maybe they’ll have better luck playing at home against a Texans team that is 0-2. Then again, the Bears were 0-2 when the Steelers played them three years ago.
When the Steelers advanced to the Super Bowl after the 2010 season, they got off to a 3-0 start while Ben Roethlisberger was serving a four-game suspension. Now, with Roethlisberger under center, the Steelers have chance to win three in a row again.
2. Magic Mike
Aside from a questionable roughing-the-passer penalty that set up a Broncos touchdown on the next play, Mike Hilton was the unquestioned leader on the defense.
The little slot cornerback not only picked up his second sack in as many games, he led the Steelers with eight tackles — all solo. He had two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, one pass defensed and it was his fumble recovery and return in the first quarter that set the stage for the Steelers’ first touchdown.
Perhaps the Steelers should have extended Hilton’s contract after they wrapped up negotiations with defensive lineman Cameron Heyward late in training camp. Hilton will be an unrestricted free agent in March, and he is setting himself up for a nice payday. With Drew Rosenhaus serving as his agent, Hilton figures to command top dollar on the open market.
3. Not quite ready for prime time
Benny Snell had fantasy football owners salivating after the home opener when he replaced an injured James Conner in the first half and set a career high with 113 rushing yards against the Giants.
Coach Mike Tomlin tempered the enthusiasm when he went back to Conner as the featured back against the Broncos. It turned out to be a wise decision and not because Snell was limited to 5 yards on his three carries.
For the second game in a row, Snell fumbled at a crucial part of the game. This time, he didn’t have JuJu Smith-Schuster in the vicinity to recover the football. Snell turned the ball over near midfield on the first play after the Steelers received a free kick in the fourth quarter while armed with a 26-14 lead.
The Broncos found the end zones six plays later, cutting their deficit to five points with 7 minutes, 43 seconds remaining. Tomlin admitted after the game that he is “concerned” about Snell’s inability to hold onto the ball in such meaningful situations.
4. Penalties hurt the defense
T.J. Watt was bothered by the lack of discipline the Steelers displayed against the Broncos. After committing just three penalties in the season opener, the Steelers were flagged 10 times for 89 yards Sunday.
Most bothersome were the six personal fouls committed by the defense. Joe Haden, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Devin Bush and Terrell Edmunds were flagged for pass interference, Hilton roughed the passer and Fitzpatrick also was flagged for a horse collar tackle. On special teams, Cam Sutton’s block in the back negated an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown by Diontae Johnson.
The Steelers sneaked out of Heinz Field with a victory despite these gaffes, but such drive-extending penalties only serve to hurt the efforts of a defense that is the best in the NFL at pursuing the quarterback and forcing turnovers.
5. Special effort
Derek Watt played just six offensive snaps as the Steelers continue to keep the fullback they signed to a three-year deal curiously out of the game plan.
Watt, though, made his impact on special teams, where he logged a team-high 21 snaps. When Broncos punter Sam Martin fumbled a snap and ran around in the end zone looking for an escape route, it was Watt who delivered the tackle that dislodged the ball again and sent it through the back of the end zone for a safety.
It was as fine a hit as brother T.J. delivered the entire afternoon.
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Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe by email at jrutter@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL
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