Fitzpatrick trade turns over Steelers’ season
PITTSBURGH – Don’t take my word for it. Take it from Mean Joe Greene.
The legend was in the house Sunday when the Steelers’ defense pulled off some more Minkah Magic to close the curtain on another keep-hope-alive type of victory. It made No. 75 proud.
“This was a good growth situation for them,” Greene told USA TODAY Sports after the Steelers toppled the Rams with a 1970s-era type of score, 17-12, for their fourth consecutive victory. “They buckled down when they had to make the plays. That’s the impetus for pushing you ever further.”
The Rams had two drives in the final three minutes to produce a game-winning touchdown but barely sniffed the end zone.
The first crack ended when Terrell Edmunds broke up Jared Goff ’s 30-yard pass in the end zone.
Then the final drive was extinguished with an interception by Minkah Fitzpatrick.
That’s buckling down.
Maybe it’s Minkah Magic. The second-year safety, obtained from Miami in September for a first-round pick, picked off a pass for the third consecutive game. He scored again, too. A week after his touchdown on a 96-yard interception return helped defeat the Colts, Fitzpatrick went 43 yards with the return of a Goff fumble in the second quarter.
“Can’t say enough about Minkah,” coach Mike Tomlin. “The tear he is on is what it is; he needs no endorsement from me. But it is also our approach.”
Tomlin has made no secret – and the world knows, too – that if the Steelers (5-4) are going to turn their dramatic turnaround this season into a legitimate playoff push, they can’t force enough turnovers.
So far, pretty good. During the winning streak they have collected 14 takeaways, including four more against the Rams. On the season, Pittsburgh’s 26 takeaways are second most in the league, trailing only the Patriots’ 27.
Fitzpatrick knows. These turnovers tend to be a group effort, which was perfectly illustrated on the last takeaway. Goff threw over the middle for Robert Woods while under tremendous pressure. When Joe Haden deflected the pass, Fitzpatrick was in the right spot to collect it.
“We’re working as a unit,” Fitzpatrick said. “The rush is rushing, the cover guys are covering.”
He makes it sound simple. But Haden, a 10th-year veteran, vouches for Fitzpatrick’s football savvy, which is one reason he so often finds himself in the right spot. He’s become increasingly comfortable, as his grasp of the playbook has evolved to the point he’s now calling the checks on the back end.
Haden insists Fitzpatrick is further along than most second-year players. He said, “He’s like a veteran.”
When the complement was relayed, Fitzpatrick told USA TODAY Sports, “I’ll take that from Joe. That means a lot coming from him.”
On the fumble return, Fitzpatrick didn’t break stride after the ball popped loose when Javon Hargrave crashed into Goff as the quarterback was in the act of throwing from a collapsed pocket. The other interception came from safety Terrell Edmunds, who collected an ugly pass by Johnny Hekker on a fake punt. Haden got a pick, too, when he peeled off his receiver in the middle of the field and floated over to shut down the wheel route by tight end Tyler Higbee.
This is what great defense looks like. Goff had his lowest-rated passing game (51.2) of the season. The Rams’ only touchdown came from its defense. The Steelers allowed Los Angeles to convert just 1 of 14 third downs. Then there was Cooper Kupp, who last time out blistered the Bengals for 220 yards on seven catches. The Steelers got physical with Kupp and shut him out, breaking up several potential catches with contact as the ball arrived. And they were even nastier on third downs.
As Tomlin put it, “All our third-down discussions started there. Minimizing his ability to impact the game in that way and then working out from there.”
All that, and the Steelers still had to sweat at the finish. That’s the challenge to Tomlin’s defense. The struggling offense, which lost Ben Roethlisberger in
September to season-ending elbow surgery and is also pressed to cover while running back James Conner nurses a shoulder injury, is a work in progress. The inexperienced quarterback, Mason Rudolph, is surrounded by similarly green skill-position talent.
On Sunday, Pittsburgh rushed for just 42 yards, averaging 1.6 per carry.
But that’s part of the reality for the Steelers’ defense, too. The misfortune of the offense fuels a certain attitude behind the sacks and the takeaways.
“There’s a sense that we have to get the ball,” Fitzpatrick said. “Give the offense more opportunities. Give them a short field. Make it easier on them.”
Next up, a Browns quarterback, Baker Mayfield, with turnover issues. And Thursday night’s matchup in Cleveland will also offer Haden a chance to face the team that cut him loose as if he was over-the-hill.
“I can’t wait,” Haden said, beaming. One thing for certain: If it comes down to a last-minute drive to close out the game, the Steelers had better hope their defense is on the field for another shot at Minkah Magic.