Let me ask a quick question: If I told you Saturday evening that Guy Whimper and Kelvin Beachum book ended the offensive line and the Steelers were able to run the ball and win, would you believe me?
I know if that was the scenario presented to me, I would’ve asked how much did they lose by and if Ben was in the hospital. Not only is Ben Roethlisberger alive and well, the Steelers looked very impressive in a home win against the arch rival Baltimore Ravens. It was a typical high intensity, hard hitting Ravens/Steelers game that came down to a last second field goal. There were some glaring takeaways from the game that made the difference between winning and losing.
1) The most impressive aspect of the Steelers performance was their ability to re establish the line of scrimmage in the running game. It was seriously a blast from the past. I am still unsure whether the Steelers offensive line was that good or the Ravens front seven was that bad. I will give the Steelers the benefit of the doubt and say the players on the offensive line are finally clicking. David DeCastro for the second straight game looked like the best lineman on the field. He was knocking players several yards off the ball including Arthur Jones and Haloti Ngata. Kelvin Beachum fought very admirably against Terrell Suggs. He won some battles and lost some also but was nasty. Even Mike Adams came in the game to play some tight end and was a very effective blocker. If the Steelers can continue to have balance on offense, look out!
2) Le’Veon Bell is a stud. He has elite potential at running back. He has as much to do with the running game and overall offense being successful as the offensive line. The Steelers finally have a complete back to help run Todd Haley’s offense. He has great hands, can block out of the backfield, has great vision, and is an extremely patient runner. There is no need for running back by committee anymore which is part of why Isaac Redman was released. Todd Haley said he was an Eddie George clone when he was drafted by the Steelers. He needs more time to walk in those shoes. Right now, I believe he is younger Matt Forte. I would love a Matt Forte on this team. Wouldn’t you?
It feels great to get two wins in a row and show signs of life, but the journey is far from over. Next week, the Steelers have a west coast trip to make to Oakland, California. The Steelers are 9-11 all time against Oakland and Ben has yet to win a game in Oakland. The Steelers also need to get healthy again. Jarvis Jones and Markus Wheaton would be welcome additions in Oakland this weekend. Oakland is a special kind of bad so the Steelers would win but it’s a little more personal this time. The Steelers need to prove they are a legitimate contender in the wild race. They also need to exercise some demons in Oakland. Then I will believe they are back from the dead.
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