Steelers and Thanksgiving do not mix
INDIANAPOLIS 鈥� Football, a game that rewards controlled violence and celebrates brute strength, is not a sport that lends itself to the warm and fuzzy. Except on Thanksgiving, that is.
Then, the NFL has become as synonymous with the fourth Thursday in November as food and family. Not necessarily in that order.
Thanksgiving games in the NFL date back to the league鈥檚 earliest days. Thursday, the Detroit Lions will host their 77th Turkey Day game since 1934. The Dallas Cowboys joined the holiday festivities in 1966. It was only 10 years ago that the NFL adopted a third game 鈥� a nightcap 鈥� to be played between no fixed opponents.
And that is why the Steelers find themselves in Indianapolis Thursday for a prime time game against the Andrew Luck-less Colts.
This will be the eighth game the Steelers have played on Thanksgiving, and from the Coin Flip game in Detroit in 1998 to Tomlin鈥檚 Tripgate in Baltimore in 2013, the Steelers have produced many memorable moments. But rarely do they produce victories.
The Steelers are 1-6 on Thanksgiving, that lone win coming 66 years ago against an opponent 鈥� the Chicago Cardinals 鈥� that has since relocated twice.
That, however, is of little concern to the current Steelers, who are fighting for their playoff lives. The only thing they are hungry for is a second straight win to get them back on the right side of .500. Forget the turkey, hold the gravy, this is a business trip.
鈥�(My family) adjusts well as far as knowing that my job comes first,鈥� said Ramon Foster, Steelers left guard and father of two. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l have Thanksgiving on Friday.鈥�
Having spent holidays and birthdays in venues far more hostile than Indianapolis鈥� Lucas Oil Stadium, Steelers tackle Alejandro Villanueva has a different perspective. The former Army Ranger served three tours of duty in Afghanistan.
鈥淚 spent a few Thanksgivings, Christmases and New Years over there,鈥� the left tackle said. 鈥淗olidays are not emotional to me at all.鈥�
The more pressing concerning for the Steelers, besides missing family and pumpkin pie, is that they will be playing on short rest. Mentally, the Steelers can feel good about ending their four-game losing streak in Cleveland three days ago. Physically, the bruises are still healing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to prepare the way that you normally do because you don鈥檛 have as much time,鈥� linebacker Ryan Shazier said. 鈥淪ome people are still a little banged up, but that鈥檚 part of the game.鈥�
Due to the compressed schedule, the Steelers practiced only Tuesday, normally their off-day. Any Thursday game, regardless of whether a holiday falls on it, is far from ideal says Foster.
If he had his way, Foster would only schedule Thursday night games the first 10 weeks of the season.
鈥淲hen you get into Week 12-17, I feel like guys鈥� bodies can鈥檛 regenerate quick enough to play a Thursday night game safely, but I might be wrong,鈥� said Foster, the Steelers players representative to the NFL Players Association. 鈥淢aybe the science behind it says if a guy does this and this, they鈥檒l be fine 鈥� but that鈥檚 my gut my feeling as a player.鈥�
The NFL, looking to increase its presence on TV, only began scheduling regular Thursday night games in 2006. Unfortunately for the Steelers, they are no better on Thursday nights in September, October and Decembers than they are on Thursday afternoons in November.
This will be their 13th appearance on TNF since 鈥�06. The Steelers are 6-5 overall but have lost four in a row and are just 1-4 on the road. The Steelers鈥� last Thursday night road win came nine years ago against an opponent, the St. Louis Rams, that has also since relocated.
Sunday鈥檚 game in Indianapolis is the only Thursday night game on their schedule, but the Steelers better get used to playing on holidays.
This season they will become only the second team in NFL history to play games on an unholy triumvirate of Thanksgiving (Thursday), Christmas (vs. Baltimore) and New Year鈥檚 Day (vs. Cleveland). The Steelers鈥� Dec. 25 game against the Ravens will be the first time they鈥檝e played on Christmas day in the franchise鈥檚 82-year history.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always tough to be away from the family,鈥� Shazier said. 鈥淓ven on the holidays, you have to come in sometimes (for practice). But we signed up for this job. We understood that sometimes we鈥檙e going to be in these situations. We just have to go out and get the win and that鈥檒l be our present to the family.鈥�