Steelers ‘goats’ seek redemption Sunday
Xavier Grimble walked into the Steelers鈥� locker room with his hood up, and he reached into his locker for something and left.
Grimble had looked across the room at the mob waiting for Ben Roethlisberger to show up and probably figured he should leave before anyone walked over to ask him again about his ghastly fumble at the goal line that rolled past the pylon, out of bounds and into Denver鈥檚 possession.
It was an early fumble, the first play of the second quarter, and so it was assumed the Steelers would recover and render the play moot.
But that didn鈥檛 happen. The Steelers made a bunch of other mistakes and lost to the Broncos by a touchdown.
Grimble explained after the game that he was gathering himself for contact. But since he could鈥檝e merely stepped back and allowed the converging defender to whiff, his explanation ruffled media feathers and Grimble became Goat I of the loss.
It鈥檚 harsh, yes, particularly for such a nice guy. But of course, the public doesn鈥檛 care who鈥檚 naughty or who鈥檚 nice when it comes to blown touchdowns in a one-touchdown loss.
And who can blame them?
But those of us working the locker room on a daily basis appreciate good guys who鈥檝e made careers for themselves after being passed over in the draft and having bounced around the league before finding a spot.
Grimble did that three years ago and raised much respect from those of us who鈥檝e watched him work and sweat for it.
Of course, that makes us bleeding hearts, and my heart bled away as I talked privately to Roethlisberger. I told him that I hope Grimble finds redemption Sunday night against the Chargers.
鈥淢e too,鈥� said Roethlisberger. 鈥淎nd I hope James catches a ton of passes.鈥�
That would be James Washington, Goat II of the one-touchdown loss.
Washington was the second-round draft pick this year by a team that needed defensive help more than another receiver. At least that was the perception at the time, and Roethlisberger said as much after the Steelers drafted a quarterback 鈥� Washington鈥檚 college quarterback, in fact 鈥� in the third round.
That wasn鈥檛 only the first time a Roethlisberger comment could be viewed in a negative light toward Washington. As the rookie made one spectacular catch after another in training camp, Roethlisberger warned reporters to throttle back on their excitement, that the rookie has much to learn.
In Denver, Washington made another mistake. He dove for a deep ball that he perhaps could鈥檝e caught had he continued running. It鈥檚 possible that would鈥檝e allowed him to score the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
The fact that Washington 鈥� one of college football鈥檚 top deep threats last year 鈥� had clearly separated from the Broncos cornerback and showed the fortitude to dive and fully extend for the ball 鈥� all of it with gloriously athletic form 鈥� did not matter when he crashed to the ground without the ball.
鈥淚鈥檓 not really sure what he鈥檚 doing,鈥� Roethlisberger said the next day on his radio show. 鈥淛ames just needs to run through it and it鈥檚 a touchdown.鈥�
Roethlisberger did add on his show that he still has confidence in Washington. Mike Tomlin said the same thing at his weekly press conference. Both of the team leaders said they hope the player still has confidence in himself, and that reporters should go ask him about it.
They did.
鈥淵ou just have to overcome adversity,鈥� Washington responded to the mob Wednesday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nothing about confidence.鈥�
The confidence issue haunted a previous second-round pick, Limas Sweed, and that鈥檚 to whom some in the media are comparing Washington. In the first 11 games of Sweed鈥檚 rookie season, he had six catches out of nine targets. Washington has eight catches out of 25 targets.
The stats might make valid the comparison of the 53rd pick of the 2008 draft to the 60th pick of the 2018 draft, but what about the current Nos. 3 and 5 receivers in the AFC?
Through the same points in their 2010 rookie seasons, Antonio Brown had two catches in 21 targets; Emmanuel Sanders had 13 catches in 23 targets.
Not every rookie receiver is JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Roethlisberger knows this, as his wish for Washington to 鈥渃atch a ton of passes鈥� this weekend shows.
I mentioned Roethlisberger鈥檚 comment to Washington after the mob had left his locker. His eyes widened and he said, 鈥淚 wish he would tell me that. He doesn鈥檛 talk to me. I would say something to him about it, but I鈥檓 just a rookie. I don鈥檛 want to be making waves.鈥�
Washington is certainly more tough-minded than Sweed before him. Both grew up in Texas as farmers, but Washington doesn鈥檛 鈥済et inside his own head鈥� the way Sweed did. And perhaps that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 not about to interrupt the quarterback鈥檚 day. But the separation and athleticism Washington displayed in Denver will one day mesh nicely with that tough mind of his, the way it has for James Conner.
As a rookie running back last year, Conner at this point in the season had 25 carries for 113 yards. Both numbers are less than what he put up in the first game of his second season.
Of course, that game was interrupted by a lost fumble which turned the game from a win into a tie. It wasn鈥檛 the only reason for the Steelers鈥� blown opportunity in Cleveland, but Conner wore the goat horns until taking them off as the team took off.
Conner, though, lost another fumble in Denver. It occurred on the series following Washington鈥檚 missed opportunity. Conner was running through 23 yards of open grass when he tried to hurdle a tackler. But the tackler came in a bit high and upended Conner, who lost the fumble inside the Denver 25. The Broncos offense went down and scored the winning touchdown and Conner became Steelers Goat III.
The concern about Conner鈥檚 confidence going forward was brought up to Roethlisberger, but the full question wasn鈥檛 allowed to escape the reporter鈥檚 mouth.
鈥淚鈥檒l stop you now,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淭here is no concern and we have all the confidence in him. We are going to ride with James because he鈥檚 our guy.鈥�
That seemed to put an end to any concern, but mistakes will continue for all, including the Steelers鈥� actual GOAT, Roethlisberger.
It鈥檚 the modern acronym for Greatest Of All Time, although some may keep those letters in small caps and call him Goat IV of the Broncos loss because of his two interceptions, particularly the one at the goal line that ended the game. But Roethlisberger really wouldn鈥檛 care if you capitalized the word or not. He鈥檚 too busy doing a job.
鈥淏eing around for a long time, dealing with a lot of different players,鈥� he said, 鈥測ou have to know how to motivate guys in different ways. I think that is part of being a leader, being a captain, just understanding players. Sometimes you just grab them off to the side and sometimes you have to be honest with them. I think I鈥檝e earned the right to do that with as long as I鈥檝e been here. I鈥檒l be just as critical on myself, in front of you guys as well.鈥�
He has been. He鈥檚 endured the goat horns and the GOAT halo. Conquering pro football is all about enduring.
It also helps, though, that there was more than one goat in Denver.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a great point,鈥� said Steelers broadcast analyst Tunch Ilkin. 鈥淵ou lose collectively. There are enough plays to go around. There鈥檚 enough blame to go around. You just re-load.
鈥淟isten, I didn鈥檛 think they were going to win out. I wasn鈥檛 expecting that. And if they had a game against Denver like they did, which they should鈥檝e won, that鈥檚 just the way it is. You learn from it and you move on. Really, this kind of stuff just makes you focus more on every game.鈥�
Redemption time will come soon enough, for goats and GOATs alike.