Nobody’s Going Nowhere
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan met with the media yesterday morning before the first practice of Training Camp and had plenty to talk about, including positional battles, roster construction, getting contracts done just before camp, and admiring the dedication of Steelers fans who make the pilgrimage to St. Vincent College every summer.
The biggest issue brought up for discussion though was a possible contract extension for Head Coach Mike Tomlin. To which Khan replied, “That’s not my department, but I anticipate coach and I are gonna be here together for a long time.”
A day previous, Tomlin didn’t seem concerned either.
At this point, if you’re holding your breath for Tomlin to be placed on any kind of “hot seat” for not having recorded a playoff victory in the last six years, you’d be best advised to bring an oxygen tank with you, because it won’t be happening any time soon – if ever.
At this point, his last name may as well be Rooney. He will get an extension, and whether it’s now, next week, next month, or next offseason, it will happen. Tomlin will be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers as long as he wants to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And nothing short of consecutive 0-17 seasons will put him on the precipice of a hot seat, let alone ousted from the position.
For Khan’s complete press conference, click below:
AFC North Door Opening?
During the Cincinnati Bengals’ first practice yesterday, superstar quarterback Joe Burrow went down with an apparent non-contact leg injury. He was carted off the field by the Bengals’ training staff.
Following practice, Head Coach Zac Taylor confirmed it was a calf injury, but had no more information.
A calf ‘strain,’ as it’s being characterized, would be massively better news than what most Bengals fans were initially expecting when they saw the video of Burrow going to the ground.
Anything more serious though, and the vultures of the AFC North may start to circle around what would suddenly be a wide open division.
Steelers Top 5s – Most Important Players
Throughout the week, I’ve been counting down Steelers Top 5s here in the Eye Opener. From Training Camp Arrivals to the Biggest Games on the 2023 schedule to Most Important Newcomers, we’ve weaved our way across the Steelers landscape.
Today, we’ll finish with the Top 5 Most Important Players.
5) George Pickens
As you’ve heard all off-season and the rest of this list will confirm, the 2023 Steelers will be built as Art Rooney II and Mike Tomlin want them to be built: Around the second highest paid defense in the NFL, with the offense serving a “complimentary” role by controlling the clock and avoiding turnovers.
The Rooney/Tomlin pipe dream of winning a whole bunch of 21-17 games still relies on one thing that every NFL organization relies on: Scoring more points than the other guys. And scoring more points is an important key to that strategy.
That’s where Pickens comes in.
The Steelers offense was dead last in explosive plays for touchdowns on offense last year, and if they’re going to rely on running the ball and controlling the clock, they need to also understand that the occasional big play on offense will keep them from having to constantly piece together 12-, 13-, and 14-play drives.
Again, that’s where Pickens comes in.
4) Kenny Pickett
It’s an unpopular opinion amongst Steelers fans, but Kenny Pickett doesn’t have to be superhuman for them to return to the playoffs. He doesn’t even have to be one of the Top 10 QBs in the league. He doesn’t need to pass for 4,000 yards or 40 TDs or lead the league in average depth of target or author a record-breaking number of 4th quarter comebacks, or anything else that we may believe is an indicator of great quarterback play.
All Pickett has to do is throw fewer interceptions than touchdowns, keep drives moving, and capitalize on the occasional opportunity to hit Pickens in single coverage.
It’s not an insult to simply ask Pickett to be what Brock Purdy was for the San Francisco 49ers down the stretch and into the playoffs last season, and what Jimmy Garoppolo was before him: The ultimate game manager.
The collective gasp from Pitt fans aside, that’s not a bad thing, and it doesn’t indicate that Pickett can’t eventually grow into more as an NFL QB. All it does is ask Pickett to be responsible with the football, and be something people have already told us he can be: A leader.
3) Najee Harris
The rest of the football world seems to have some level of belief in Najee Harris. So much so, in fact, that more money has been bet on Harris to lead the league in rushing than any other back.
Count me amongst the believers that, if he stays healthy, thanks to a re-vamped offensive line, Harris will return to the ranks of the Top Five Rushers in the league, where he was as a rookie.
If that’s the case, Pickett will be allowed to grow steadily, rather than exponentially, and won’t have entire games heaped on his shoulders. Exactly as the brass has planned it, the Steelers will be able to win a bunch of 21-17 games, and perhaps even return to the playoffs.
But make no mistake, the success of this plan, at least from the offensive side, rests on Harris beginning to pay off on the promise of being the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
2) T.J. Watt
1-6. That was the Steelers’ record when Watt was out last season. It tells you all you need to know about a defense that became fairly toothless when it didn’t put pressure on the opposing quarterback from multiple positions. Alex Highsmith may have put up great sack numbers, but without the threat of someone else in the front seven creating chaos, teams were able to balance their focus.
With Watt back and healthy, Highsmith can go back to being Robin to T.J.’s Batman, and forcing passers into the kind of quick, harried decisions that lead to mistakes of both the physical and mental variety, which lead to turnovers. Which feeds back into Rooney’s & Tomlin’s organizational philosophy.
1) Minkah Fitzpatrick
Presuming Watt and Highsmith, not to mention Cam Heyward, can create chaos up front, it should provide the opportunity to create turnovers. But without someone on the back end to capitalize on those opportunities, it means nothing.
Here comes Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Widely regarded the best safety in the NFL entering his sixth season, Fitzpatrick led the league in interceptions last year, and that was while he was constantly cleaning up the messes left by the inside linebacking trio of Myles Jack, Devin Bush, and Robert Spillane.
In the past two seasons, Fitzpatrick has racked up a combined 220 tackles as he repeatedly raced down in to the box to fill run fits, cover up for missed tackles, and help inside linebackers who were hopeless in coverage.
The sooner he’s allowed to get back to playing a true free safety, the better.
Are Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Mark Robinson any better than their predecessors? That remains to be seen. But even if they’re just competent, it will free Fitzpatrick up to turn over opposing passers the way the Steelers organizational philosophy will require him to if this team is going to go back to the playoffs.
No es un Adiós, es un Hasta Luego
The first domino of the Pirates’ trade deadline fell yesterday, as Carlos Santana was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The 18-year old prospect acquired in return, Jhonny Severino, isn’t ranked in Milwaukee’s Top 30 Prospects, but has shown a glimpse or two of power in rookie ball this year, for what it’s worth.
Given Santana’s fondness for Pittsburgh and the Pirates organization, I wouldn’t be totally shocked if he’s invited back this offseason on another one year deal.
What isn’t up for debate is that Santana delivered the best Greg Brown call, and in many fans’ eyes the best moment, of the 2023 season.
https://twitter.com/1992Pirates/status/1674969398539321345?s=20
Dodge the Strays If You Can
Between his persistent offensive on the evolution of NIL – including advocating for a ‘salary cap’ this week – and his hobby of going after Deion Sanders and any other coach who’s been over aggressive in the transfer portal, it’s hard for Pitt Head Coach Pat Narduzzi to find time for the occasional pot shot in the direction of Happy Valley.
But ever the poker of the bear, ‘Duzz found an opportunity at ACC Media Days, when asked about his quarterback room, to take a swing at an offense that scored nearly a touchdown more than his last season in a defensively more robust conference.
In the midst of praising transfer QB Christian Veilleux, who moved on from Penn State after being passed up on the depth chart by Drew Allar, Narduzzi also compared the Pitt and Penn State offenses.
“Christian is a guy that, well, things are brand-new for him,” said Narduzzi.
“He’s coming from a one-word offense to a real offense. But it’s a totally different offense. This offense is NFL-style with sophisticated terminology. We’re going to see a different version of Christian.”
Veilluex is expected to backup another transfer QB, Phil Jurkovec.
Back to the Future
Colorado made official yesterday the move that had been heavily rumored for a few days and simmering on the realignment stovetop for weeks: They’re headed back to the Big XII.
And now, let the realignment carousel start spinning.
If another three teams are willing to jump from the Pac-12, and it’s simply the other three rumored ‘four corners’ schools – Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah – then the remaining ‘Pac-6’ (oh boy, we’re getting dangerously close to an nWo/D-X reference, here) can still find their way to some level of viability with flagships like Cal, Stanford, Washington and Oregon still around.
If those final two are considering jumping to the Big XII though, the ‘Pac-6’ as it would stand then – Arizona, ASU, Cal, Stanford, Utah, Washington State – would likely be left floating, searching for a life raft in the form of … what, San Diego State, Boise State, and maybe UNLV? Throw Gonzaga in for hoops maybe?
That’s not a Power Five conference though.
And that’s the biggest takeaway from this whole shift, especially if three more jump with Colorado: We’re rapidly approaching the four 16-team superconferences I predicted a few years ago.
Will there still be a few tweaks? Sure.
Will we eventually get to 18-, 20-, and even 24-team conferences as the SEC and/or Big Ten continue to swallow things up? Sure.
For now though, let this be a lesson to any other conference commissioners that don’t want to work to achieve the most lucrative media rights deals for their member institutions: You will get pilfered.
Enjoy the Week Off
My sister-in-law, gem of a woman that she is, suggested I remind reader of The Eye Opener when I’ll be heading out on vacation, so you’re not left to twist in the wind and wonder what the heck’s going on.
So, with that said, I’ll be off through August 7. I trust 937TheFan.com will keep you up-to-date on everything you need to know in the meantime, especially as it relates to Steelers Training Camp, the MLB Trade Deadline, #KarlssonWatch, and the myriad of realignment rumors that will undoubtedly continue to circulate.
See yinz in 10 days!