Pittsburghers are proud people, especially when it comes to the Steelers. As the late, great Charlie Daniels still sings - “just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I think you’re gonna finally understand.”
You don’t mess with the Steelers. At least outsiders can’t mess with the Steelers.
Funny thing is … even though the Steelers are 9-0 we can complain whether it’s the disappearing running game or the sudden inability to stop the run or the occasional busted coverage or missed tackle. But if anyone else, especially someone with a national profile, points out a flaw or two it’s HOW CAN THEY SAY THAT? THE STEELERS ARE 9-0!
Witness the latest Pro Football Focus Power Rankings
1. Kansas City
2. Baltimore
3. New Orleans
4. Pittsburgh
Even though the Chiefs lost to the Raiders at home, they’re the defending champions, so maybe … but the Steelers best the Ravens in Baltimore! Pittsburghers have no time for that.
ESPN does have the Steelers first and Kansas City second in its Power Rankings … so maybe Ryan Clark is talking sense into his ESPN colleagues.
But the network did recently rank the top 10 2020 rookies and conspicuous by his absence is Chase Claypool who has scored 9 touchdowns which leads all rookies and is tied for 5th overall.
A quick check over at NBC Sports shows Chris Simms’ Top 10 quarterbacks
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
3. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
4. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
5. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
6. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
7. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
8. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
9. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
10. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
No problem with Mahomes. He’s the defending champ, Super Bowl MVP and this season has thrown 25 touchdown passes with just 1 interception.
Rodgers, like Roethlisberger, is a future Hall of Famer and has thrown for 26 TDs and just 3 picks for a 7-and-2 team.
Wilson has thrown 30 touchdown passes but has also thrown 10 interceptions and the list goes on filed with QBs who, so far this season, don’t have Ben’s credentials.
Over the years, Roethlisberger’s numbers have typically been less prolific than other “top” QBs but that’s not really the case this season. 22 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions are fairly eye-popping numbers and, oh yeah, he has won every game!
PFF’s Steve Palazzolo – a weekly guest with the PM Team on The Fan – told the guys this week that Ben Roethlisberger is the 15th best QB behind, among others, Daniel Jones of the Giants.
His reasoning is that Ben should have thrown more interceptions, that defenders should have held onto more errant or deflected passes. But they didn’t.
Palazzolo also took issue with the Bill Parcells axiom that “you are what your record says you are,” saying that the Steelers should have lost 2 or 3 of the games they won. Another site, Pro Football Reference, has an analytical Expected Wins formula which indicates the Steelers should be 7-2.
Just another case of disrespect from the national media. In fact, early results from the weekend Fan Morning Show poll show over 67% of you think the Steelers don’t get enough respect from the national media and it makes you mad. But it shouldn’t.
Players and coaches always say they don’t pay attention to what’s said about them on the radio or on TV or online and many of them probably don’t. Yet, a lot of them do, especially when it comes to those national platforms.
So far this season, the more disrespect they get – real or perceived - the more the Steelers win and the more players like Roethlisberger and Claypool continue to shine.
So Steelers fans, no need to yell at the radio or the TV or the computer; the next time your favorite team and/or players get dissed, just smile and say “thank you very much.”