PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Coaches will tell us all the time there are three phases to football when often we just focus on offense and defense. You forget about special teams, until they make a killer mistake OR make a game-changing play.
The latter applies to the Steelers 17-10 win over the Ravens on Sunday.
What started the comeback against Baltimore was a maybe underappreciated captain. The man who for the second consecutive year leads the Steelers special teams unit. Miles Killebrew changed not only the scoreboard, but the momentum in the team's third win.
It's 10-3 Baltimore early in the fourth quarter and the offense has done little. The defense gets yet another second-half stop and forces a Baltimore punt from the 14-yard line. Killebrew trots on the field with a play call from special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
"It's a scheme we've been practicing for three weeks," Killebrew said. "Danny (Smith) drew it up. It just so happened all of the things that needed to happen for that to be called took place."
"I won't bore you with the specifics. It has to do with field position. It has to do with where we are in the game for Danny to feel comfortable to call it."
Killebrew comes free and blocks the kick that barely goes into through the end zone before tight end Rodney Williams recovered it for what would have been a touchdown. Regardless it was a safety and the Steelers would get the ball back now trailing 10-5.
"Obviously, just created a spark and then Steelers Nation came alive again for us and it was huge," said TJ Watt.
"Can't say enough about that significant play by Miles Killebrew," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "You block a kick in the National Football League, you usually win football games, and obviously that is a significant contribution."
"I practice it," Killebrew said. "I don't think anything happens on accident. It's something I actively seek. I'm just thankful to be on a team with guys that do their job. I'm able to count on them to get it done."
It's his third career block with the Steelers in just three seasons with the team. He also had one with the Detroit Lions. He also had three in college. Killebrew said you have to know where your bread is buttered and he knows that is his niche in the NFL.
"Man, this guy has blocked a lot of kicks in recent years," Tomlin said. "He's got to be tops in the National Football League in that regard. It's been special to be a part of it."
"I'm not surprised," Watt said. "The guy works his tail off. He's out there every day in practice, working on his craft. Coach Tomlin always says one block a year makes you great, and he has a whole bunch of them at this point in his career, and it's awesome to see a guy that you know the other team is scheming for plays like that."
"I'm not surprised by his worth ethic and being able to have that opportunity to make that plan and then making it when he had it."
"Shoutout to Miles," said quarterback Kenny Pickett. "A guy who dedicates to his craft. I watch him work every day. I watch him work punt blocks all the time. He's constantly doing it, he's obsessed with it. No surprise he steps up when we need it. Huge appreciation for Miles."
Killebrew changed the course of events on Sunday, as others then stepped up later. He plays it off as being part of the job, you might look back as Miles Killebrew making one of the biggest plays in 2023.
