I might actually want to see Jaylen Samuels at running back.
Yep.
And I mean it.
Bear with me, I'll explain a little later …
Seems as if everyone in the sports prognostication business --- whether they are good at it, terrible at it or somewhere in the middle --- is picking the Pittsburgh Steelers to lay some heavy wood on the Dallas Cowboys this coming Sunday.
Blowout city in the Metroplex.
What are the Steelers, like 13.5 point favorites down in Big D? Something like that?
And rightly so.
The Steelers (7-0) shouldn't have all that much of a problem with the Cowboys (2-6) unless Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman show up to play quarterback instead of one of those two tomato can QBs they plan to sacrifice at the altar of Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt during Sunday afternoon service at Jerry's Cathedral.
If everything goes as planned, or even close to it, I want to see Steelers coach Mike Tomlin do something he has been reluctant to do in the past --- get the show ponies out of the football game when it no longer is in the balance.
Yep, back to that Jaylen Samuels part …
Let's say the Steelers are up by 17 points or so going into the fourth quarter --- get James Conner out of the football game.
Remember, they don't have a bye week anymore, the grind of an NFL season became a super grind for the Steelers when the Titans couldn't seem to follow rules.
Anyway, get Benny Snell some burn; play Anthony McFarland and, yes, even hand it to Jaylen Samuels some.
Make the smart play, Mike Tomlin!
If you are ahead in the Dallas game a safe distance, get away from that whole "we only think game to game" credo that football coaches love to mention and understand this version of the Pittsburgh Steelers potentially has much more to accomplish. Understand the marathon and not just the sprint --- think about tomorrow and next week and next month.
Same goes for guys like Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Heyward and a few of the older offensive linemen like David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey. If you have enough activated players you feel comfortable with, get the stars out of the football game if it is decided no matter what they say about wanting to finish it out.
In the past, Roethlisberger in particular has been adamant about finishing games even when the Steelers have a big lead. Sorry Ben, take a seat.
If things go the Steelers' way early in this one ---- as many are predicting ---- I would hope Tomlin and his staff have an escape plan for Roethlisberger and a short card of plays for Mason Rudolph to get in there and hand the ball off to kill the game off.
That would be the prudent move; that would be the smart move.
You see, these Pittsburgh Steelers are built different.
These Pittsburgh Steelers have a real, bona fide chance at making a deep, deep run at a Super Bowl this season. They truly are that good.
Tomlin owes it to this team to eliminate any unnecessary risk put in front of any member of this squad, especially the guys who are starters and, more to the point, the ones who are irreplaceable.
That said, if you're up big, get them out.
