No illusions: Season full of challenges
Steelers’ struggles in win show anything possible rest of way
Beprepared, or be ready for an unexpected challenge.
That’s an NFL mantra that seems to always be in play. Perfect proof was provided Sunday in Big D, where the unbeaten Steelers nearly had a Big Debacle against thewoeful Cowboys.
Sure, the resilient and versatile Steelers came back after trailing all day to win 24-19 against an opponent they should have shoved aside without breaking a sweat. Instead, because theywere as flat as the turf in Jerry Jones’ palace, they had to sweat out everything. Such as a bumbling beginning. A knee injury for Ben Roethlisberger when the quarterback was sandwiched by two Cowboys pass rushers, slowing but not stopping him. And a pair of missed extra points— even though Chris Boswell made a 59-yard field goal.
Still, these Steelers are the only squad in franchise history to go 8-0, though they weren’t kidding themselves about howthey got there.
“We’re humbled and honored to be in that group,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “It’s notwithout its trials today, obviously. Some of itwas created by us. We can’t keephaving these conversations every week because one of theseweekswe’ll be doing it with an ‘L’ ifwe’re not careful.”
Perhaps it was understandable. After all, the Steelerswere coming off one emotional win after another, against the long-time rival Browns, then-unbeaten Titans and archrival Ravens. They were facing the most underachieving, albeit banged-up, squad in pro football, with journeyman QB Garrett Gilbert in his first NFL start, and on a three-game slide.
Certainly it was more understandable than what the Buccaneers came up with against their top division and possibly conference foe, the Saints, on Sunday night. That motivation and undivided attention should have been a no-brainer. Yet the Bucs played a pretty brainless first half, falling behind 31-0, even putting his young daughter whowas at the game to sleep.
That the Steelers overcame it’s own languor and the Cowboys’ most spirited performance all season is a tribute to the Steelers’ resourcefulness. And guts. Roethlisberger easily could have sat out the second half, his eye on further prizes. He’s not built thatway, and neither is his team.
And he believes the Steelers will learn fromstruggling like they did Sunday.
“It’s the NFL. There are no easy games,” he said. “We’re the Pittsburgh Steelers. We knoweverybody is coming for us.”
As the Steelers and everyone else move into the second half of the schedule, they should look at Sunday as a cautionary tale. It surely was that for the Bucs, who looked lethargic and confused in only their biggest test so far this season.
Same for the Seahawks, who had a difficult chore in traveling cross-country to Buffalo, NewYork, and then having an early kickoff. But the Bills, who have struggled a bit the last month, blew away the Seahawks in the first half, toying with a defense that was practically invisible for the first half of a 44-34 Billswin.
“What I will tell you is I don’t recognize that game. We haven’t seen us look like that ... and I don’t have any place inmy brain for it,” coach Pete Carroll said.
But it happens to virtually every club some time during a 17-week schedule. During 2020, with all of the pandemicrelated issues, it is even more difficult to remain on an even keel.
And so through November and December, remember, overcoming lethargy and succeeding is a rare, irreplaceable quality.