The newest instalment of the Steelers-Bengals rivalry was an anxiety-ridden thriller, even for these with no rooting curiosity in both workforce. A show of soccer mastery for the ages, it was not. However the 23-20 overtime win by Pittsburgh had extra twists and turns than a complete season of Stranger Issues.
As such there have been a number of key takeaways, beginning with TJ Watt and a ferocious protection bullying a supposedly improved Bengals offensive line. Joe Burrow was sacked a whopping seven occasions: Watt alone collected a sack, interception and three tackles for a loss (the reigning defensive participant of the yr would later go away the sector with a feared torn pectoral).
As for the person so usually on the bottom Sunday, nicely, if we hadn’t seen Burrow at SoFi Stadium in February with our personal eyes, it might be arduous to imagine that he began within the final Tremendous Bowl. At the very least for the primary half. Sure, Burrow was afforded minimal time to throw however when he did, his accuracy and resolution making have been off base. He was unable to regulate till the second half when his imaginative and prescient grew to become an asset, and his launch was faster.
It additionally helped Cincinnati that the Steelers offense seemingly misplaced its pulse within the second half. The Steelers have been at all times going to be conservative with Mitch Trubisky beginning at quarterback, however three factors and fewer than 100 complete yards within the second half is inexcusable.
Fortunately for Trubisky, he nonetheless acquired the chance to play hero because of a bevy of missed alternatives by the Bengals, beginning with Zak Taylor not challenging when a transparent Ja’Marr Chase landing was dominated incomplete with simply over 2:00 remaining in regulation. Dwelling on the non-challenge might trigger our brains to collectivity explode – Taylor said after the game Chase was in a troublesome a part of the sector to see – however idiotic is a really well mannered solution to describe it.
Taylor’s gaffe began a wild sequence of dominoes that ultimately resulted in Trubisky wanting like Ben Roethlsiberger in his prime as he led the Steelers from their very own 20 to the game-winning subject aim.
It additionally led to a newfound admire for Clark Harris and his ilk. C’mon, you actually hadn’t heard of Harris till Sunday and even now? For the uninitiated, Harris is the Bengals’ lengthy snapper. He, together with holder Kevin Huber and kicker Evan McPherson are a well-oiled machine, every a cog that should be exact. Harris with the superbly angled snap from seven yards away, Huber with the right maintain and McPherson with the right leg. That was the workforce on the sector for McPherson’s string of unimaginable kicks final season, in addition to for McPherson’s profitable 59-yarder within the first quarter on Sunday.
Then Harris suffered a biceps harm and poor Mitchell Wilcox (normally the workforce’s backup tight finish) needed to sub in. McPherson’s additional level that will have sealed the win was blocked by Minkah Fitzpatrick. Then his 29-yard subject aim that will once more have sealed the win in additional time sailed nicely proper.
McPherson, to his credit score, was diplomatic in regards to the failed field-goal try: “The operation was high-quality. I simply missed it,” he stated. That’s a pleasant factor to say however with Harris snapping the ball, the operation is really high-quality, and the Bengals really win.
Lengthy snappers will not be simply important to particular groups. They’re the good dudes within the locker room, and the nice ones are fashions of longevity. Former Eagles lengthy snapper Jon Dorenbus is an expert magician who reached the final of America’s Got Talent. Don Muhlbach, the long-time Lions lengthy snapper, was the second oldest NFL participant (behind a sure quarterback) when he retired in 2020. He also used to cut a banana into 17 pieces forward of each recreation and do the identical air drum solo earlier than working out of the tunnel. With all due respect to offensive linemen, these are the blokes you wish to have a beer with. There are endless fun facts about long snappers however nobody is aware of them as a result of they’ve at all times been within the shadows.
Till now. Harris’s absence illustrates how essential a talented lengthy snapper is to the kicking operation. Within the case of the Bengals, it was the distinction between a win and a loss.
MVP of the week
Patrick Mahomes, quarterback, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. It’s secure to say Mahomes goes to be simply high-quality with out Tyreek Hill. In a 44-21 beatdown of the Arizona Cardinals, Mahomes was 30-of-39 for 360 passing yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. All 4 quarters have been a daring reminder that nobody has ever performed the place like Mahomes. Nobody has near his bag of instruments. And besides, he wins good teammate honors for working over to seize the soccer that rookie Isiah Pacheco used to attain his first landing.
Quote of the week
“He’s a person of his phrase. He informed us he was going to be aggressive … He did simply that” – Giants working again Saquon Barkley on his new head coach, Brian Daboll.
Down 13-0 at halftime to the Titans, the Giants got here out a brand new workforce within the second half. Daboll made the changes that profitable coaches make. However he additionally did one thing that not many coaches do, he guess on his gamers. Following a 13-play drive that resulted in a landing with a minute left, Daboll had a alternative. Go for one to tie it or two to win. Daboll later revealed that he deliberate to go for the win all alongside, and his gamble succeeded. Barkley took a shovel move ultimately zone and ran to his coach with a smile to match the second. Lastly, the Giants really feel like a winner.
Associated …
“McDaniel’s gonna want a wheelbarrow for his nuts to hold them round” – Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill on head coach Mike McDaniel.
Daboll’s not the one one who earned speedy adulation from his gamers. Fairly arduous to argue with the results of McDaniel’s unconventional resolution to go for it on fourth and 7 with 24 seconds left within the first half.
Video of the week
Not solely did rookie Cade York’s game-winning 58-yard subject aim safe the Browns an emotional win over Baker Mayfield (oh, and the remainder of the Panthers too), it ended one of the vital embarrassing streaks within the NFL. The Browns gained their first season-opener in 18 years. Critically. York gained’t have to purchase a meal in Cleveland any time quickly.
Stat of the week
61-10. That’s the quantity Inexperienced Bay have been outscored in openers over the previous two seasons.
Packers have been outscored 61-10 over the previous two Week One video games mixed.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 12, 2022
On condition that Inexperienced Bay made it to the divisional spherical final yr and the NFC championship the yr earlier than, it’s secure to say they gained’t be worrying an excessive amount of about Sunday’s 23-7 loss to the Vikings.
Elsewhere across the league
Chicago’s Matt Eberflus joined the occasion of rookie head coaches who gained in Week 1. It seemed prefer it was going to be a protracted day for the Bears after San Francisco took a 7-0 lead and Chicago stored punting after calling screens on third and longs within the first half. However Trey Lance and the 49ers offense struggled to generate something within the torrential downpour at Soldier Area. Justin Fields was the higher quarterback Sunday, exhibiting off the arm energy on a wonderful 51-yard landing move to former 49er Dante Pettis. As for Lance, there will likely be inevitable, and really unfair, pondering this week about whether or not the workforce ought to return to Jimmy Garoppolo.
Josh McDaniels didn’t win his head teaching debut in Las Vegas largely as a result of Justin Herbert is extraordinarily good at soccer. Herbert picked up the place he left off final season, besides this time his workforce beat the Raiders 24-19. I’m nonetheless not over the Chargers’ exclusion kind the playoffs final season.
Notable performances from Sunday: Saquon Barkley with 164 speeding yards, a landing and the aforementioned two-point conversion; Davante Adams in his Raiders debut: 10 receptions, 141 yards and a landing; Justin Jefferson, 9 receptions, 184 yards and two scores; Jonathan Taylor, 161 speeding yards and a speeding landing; AJ Brown on his Eagles debut, 10 receptions and 155 receiving yards (128 of them within the first half whereas largely being smothered).
New Colts quarterback Matt Ryan handed for 352 yards and a landing and all he has to indicate for it’s a 20-20 tie in opposition to a Texans workforce he ought to have beat. Ties in soccer: acceptable. Ties within the NFL: barf.
Too late to vary my Super Bowl pick to Buffalo? I’d be remiss to not point out the NFL’s opener featured Josh Allen choosing aside the Rams protection with precision passing (83.9% completion price), sensible reads, and sheer will. Conversely, brash Rams nook Jalen Ramsey performed simply as he did within the Tremendous Bowl: pedestrian and beatable.
The Cowboys’ listless efficiency in a 19-3 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday Evening Soccer was alarming sufficient, nevertheless it in some way acquired worse after the ultimate gun when workforce proprietor Jerry Jones introduced star quarterback Dak Prescott would require surgical procedure for a fracture close to the thumb of his throwing hand and is because of miss “a number of weeks” (learn: six to eight, ESPN reports). It’s a season-altering growth for a workforce that has been projected to cope with the Eagles for the NFC East title.
This must be associated to some seedy Dan Snyder enterprise enterprise, no?
