Memorable series moment between Steelers, Redskins
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Steelers 23, Redskins 6
Nov. 3, 2008 at FedExField
A month before Mike Tomlin鈥檚 infamous rebuke of Willie Parker鈥檚 complaints about the phasing out of the fullback 鈥� pretty much forever in the Steelers offense 鈥� Parker complained publicly for the first time following this Monday night game. Returning to the field following a four-game absence for a sprained MCL, Parker rushed 21 times for 70 yards behind QB Byron Leftwich, who stepped in for a battered Ben Roethlisberger. The offense sputtered but the Steelers survived to improve to 6-2. 鈥淵ou know it frustrates me,鈥� said Parker late that night. 鈥淚 love running behind Carey (Davis). I鈥檓 going to have a talk with coach. I鈥檓 not getting anything consistent going and that鈥檚 all I want to do. I want to sit down with B.A. and Coach Tomlin because when I鈥檓 all the way back, I expect to get the ball. I鈥檓 a running back. I want to run the ball. We鈥檝e got to get back to Steelers football.鈥� Defensive players and coaches were also grumbling and it bubbled over a month later when, at 10-3, Tomlin said, 鈥淓very morning I come to work, I walk past five Lombardis, not five rushing titles. The issue is winning.鈥� Of course, the Steelers won their sixth Lombardi that season.
TALE OF THE TAPE
鈥淲hat goes on with Kirk Cousins and Jordan Reed will be the biggest thing. They target Reed so much. They put him in motion a lot so you can鈥檛 get your hands on him, so how the Steelers go about defending this tight end is everything. You look at Sean Davis and you think, 鈥榃ow, what a way to come into your first start as a nickel.鈥� Being out there matched up with him is going to be something. Reed鈥檚 a smaller tight end. He鈥檚 more receiver than anything else. When you think blocker, he鈥檚 not a real physical guy. Eighty-seven catches is just ridiculous. He鈥檚 a heck of a one-on-one matchup because he can move, he runs great routes and Cousins likes to target him, if not force the ball to him.鈥� 鈥� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers generate a running game?
The second part of the question: with those tight ends? They鈥檙e also missing their fullback, Rosie Nix, with an injury, so the only quality blocking tight end, David Johnson, will be needed there when necessary. Tight ends Jesse James and Xavier Grimble have both been huge questions marks in the running game, and recently have become question marks in the passing game with Grimble dropping passes throughout preseason and James getting plunked in the head the other day because he didn鈥檛 turn around. Ben Roethlisberger may not even look their way tonight, and if the coordinator simply opts for more receivers, the running game 鈥� without suspended Le鈥橵eon Bell 鈥� will count on finesse to get the job done against a Redskins defense that allowed a porous 4.8 yards per carry last season.
THREE QUESTIONS: With WR Antonio Brown
Q: Ben says you鈥檝e got to keep your head about you. What does he mean by that?
AB: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. You鈥檝e got to ask Ben.鈥�
Q: What do you think he means?
AB: (No answer)
Q: Do you have to avoid getting caught up in a personal confrontation?
AB: 鈥淚鈥檓 a professional football player. I鈥檓 not a fighter. We wear equipment. My job is to go out there and score touchdowns and catch the football.鈥�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers tonight (7:10 p.m.) in Washington:
ON OFFENSE:
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley talked about how Brown must keep his cool against top-flight cornerback Josh Norman because Brown is so important to a Steelers offense that won鈥檛 have Markus Wheaton, or much of anything at tight end, and will be counting on youngsters Eli Rogers and Sammie Coates along with vets DeAngelo Williams and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Those players will add plays but the core of the Steelers鈥� offense will be Brown and Roethlisberger behind an offensive line that learned to deal with crowd noise last year in Seattle.
ON DEFENSE:
Stopping the Redskins鈥� main threat, Jordan Reed, will no doubt fall to rookie safety Sean Davis, who has been working as a slot corner for just this very purpose since they drafted the D.C. native in the second round last April. If Davis can鈥檛 handle a guy who caught 87 passes for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, the Steelers can move Will Gay into the slot and first-round pick Artie Burns can debut at Gay鈥檚 outside spot. If the Steelers CAN handle Reed, they鈥檒l still have to worry about deep threat DeSean Jackson and former Colt Pierre Garcon. They鈥檒l get time behind a line with Pro Bowler Trent Williams at left tackle and high draft picks sprinkled throughout.
PREDICTION
At first glance, the Redskins +3 1/2 seemed like a giveaway, considering the Steelers are without Wheaton, Bell, Ladarius Green and of course Heath Miller and Martavius Bryant on offense, and are working two rookies into their secondary. The last rookie DB to start an opener for the Steelers was Maryland鈥檚 Chad Scott in 1997 and the Steelers were thrashed through the airwaves by Troy Aikman and the Cowboys, 37-7. So, on paper, it looks like all Redskins. But the Steelers practices have been intense and focused, and the team is coming off a physical camp. They could very well unveil a defense that鈥檚 ready to return to the elite level at which Pittsburgh fans are accustomed. Communication was stressed all week, as a reminder of last year鈥檚 problems in New England. This team knows how to play on the road, is used to winning openers and Monday night games, and has an excellent kicker. Steelers, 27-24.
BY THE NUMBERS
12: Number of catches Antonio Brown needs to make to pass John Stallworth (537) for third place on the Steelers鈥� all-time receptions list.
17.7: DeSean Jackson鈥檚 average yards per catch, highest career average in NFL.
30: When the Steelers score 30 points in openers, they are 16-1-1.
41: Steelers wins on opening weekend, most by any AFC team (of course, most AFC teams played 38 fewer seasons).
101.6: Kirk Cousins鈥� career-high passer rating last season.
232: Number of consecutive passes Cousins has thrown at home without being intercepted.
249: Number of consecutive pass atempts Jason Campbell had thrown without being intercepted in 2008 before Deshea Townsend stopped the streak on a Monday night.
DOWNLOADS
* The Steelers and Redskins have met on Monday nights twice previously with the Steelers winning in both 2008 and 1973. The Steelers are 3-1 on Monday night season openers with their last appearance, 2002 at New England, the lone loss. The Steelers are 43-24 on Monday nights (modern era), and have the third-best winning percentage (.642) and the third-most wins. They can tie the Dallas Cowboys at 44 and move to within three of the San Francisco 49ers with a win tonight.
* This is a big game for Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith, who鈥檚 going back to Washington where he served as Redskins special teams coach from 2004 to 2012. On the other side, the Redskins are expected to start former Steelers No. 1 draft pick Ziggy Hood at left defensive end in their 3-4 alignment. The Redskins signed Hood to a futures contract last February and 鈥渉e鈥檚 one of our most pleasant surprises,鈥� said Redskins Coach Jay Gruden. 鈥淗e can play nose, he can play end, he can play the three-technique and he was one of our better rushers in camp.鈥�
* Markus Wheaton won鈥檛 play tonight because of a shoulder injury but believes that, when healthy, he could move inside as the slot receiver in 3 or 4-WR sets because 鈥渁t the end of last season we took off,鈥� he said of himself and Roethlisberger. 鈥淚 think we built that chemistry.鈥� But because of injuries, first-year player Eli Rogers has been working there all offseason and will get the opportunity tonight. And the team鈥檚 preseason receptions leader may not give it back. Here鈥檚 what Haley said about Rogers: 鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy that has a very good feel and skill set for playing in there, because he did it his whole career in college. Usually we get guys that were outside receivers in college, so you are training guys. It鈥檚 a big job because when you are an outside receiver, you see coverage from really one side and one direction. When you are inside, you are seeing things from both sides. The really good ones in there have phenomenal vision and understanding of coverage. We are excited about seeing him go out Monday and play. He will kind of tell the rest of the story.鈥�
* Washington鈥檚 slot WR is familiar to Pitt fans. Jamison Crowder of Duke caught 16 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns in two games against Pitt in 2013 and 2014. He also returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown and had a rushing touchdown as well. The teams split the two meetings, both high-scoring games. 鈥淗e has the heart of a lion,鈥� Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell said of his former Duke teammate. 鈥淔or his size (5-8, 182) he鈥檚 very tough. He鈥檚 somebody who doesn鈥檛 shy away from contact. He鈥檒l make tough catches in traffic. I think that鈥檚 what makes him tough. That鈥檚 what makes him a good player.鈥�
* When David DeCastro walked into the Steelers locker room the day after signing a $58 million contract that included a $16 million signing bonus, Maurkice Pouncey shouted to reporters, 鈥淒ave鈥檚 not talking today. He makin鈥� too much money.鈥� Ramon Foster followed with a shout to his teammates, 鈥淗ey guys we can鈥檛 get our game checks till Dave gets his.鈥� Marcus Gilbert was excited. 鈥淒ave鈥檚 buying today and he has Christmas presents to get every week. What else? Oh, new chairs in the meeting room. And I need some new rims.鈥� 鈥淒ave, my car needs an oil change,鈥� shouted Pouncey. Said DeCastro: 鈥淣ot a problem at all. I鈥檒l see what they want. Chairs, Christmas presents, we鈥檒l get some stuff done. Part of the territory.鈥�
PARTING SHOT
鈥淎B鈥檚 one of the best in the business, and so is Josh. I think it鈥檚 a primetime matchup. I think everyone will tune in just to see that matchup. I think what it will come down to: Is AB鈥檚 quarterback good enough to get him the ball when he needs to? The big thing for both of them is if they both try to play mind games with each other. I鈥檒l talk to my receiver and make sure he keeps a level head and just plays football.鈥� 鈥� Ben Roethlisberger.