Steelers still creating excitement at 2-4
From the notebook of a sportswriter who鈥檚 ready for a break after one of the more newsworthy and, frankly, exciting 2-4 starts to a season in memory:
n So, they beat the Chargers with a third-string quarterback making his first start and kept alive flickering hopes of a revival without Ben Roethlisberger, and possibly their most dominant defensive player, Stephon Tuitt.
n Since I began covering the team in 1995, the Steelers started 2-4 three times 鈥� 2013, 2006, 2003 鈥� and all three times that skid was extended to 2-6 with two more losses. The latest two teams finished 8-8; the 2003 team finished 6-10.
n Is exciting really the word to describe that pattern? Well, no, but the way teams in this division are playing, 8-8 could be good enough for first place, while 9-7 might guarantee it.
n The reason it鈥檚 been exciting is that the two quarterbacks who鈥檝e replaced Roethlisberger are showing sparks of brightness for the future. Mike Tomlin wouldn鈥檛 discuss which of the two would start next, but logic and his repeated commentary about limiting Hodges鈥� 鈥渆xposure鈥� would indicate the Steelers will start Mason Rudolph after the bye week.
n Rudolph is more experienced and his strong arm keeps defenses more honest.
n Hodges may have a better arm than he showed on Sunday night鈥檚 first attempted deep ball to JuJu Smith-Schuster, which fell short, but for the second consecutive game a Hodges throw into the deep middle was intercepted by the free safety. The one in Los Angeles was not negated by a penalty.
n The word written in my notebook after Hodges鈥� interception Sunday night was this: Why?
n Holding a seemingly insurmountable 24-3 lead with 10:45 remaining, the Steelers had reached midfield with a first down when Hodges threw deep for Johnny Holton. Now, Holton would make one of the game鈥檚 key plays later on special teams, but his receiving experience is limited to surprise deep attempts that never surprise. This one didn鈥檛 surprise Rayshawn Jenkins, who broke over the top of Holton 鈥� who didn鈥檛 come back for the ball 鈥� for the interception, and life.
n Rivers then remembered who he was and got hot. He drove the Chargers 70 yards for one touchdown pass, and after a Hodges pass to Ryan Switzer lost two yards on third-and-7, Rivers drove the Chargers 79 yards for another score. They foolishly attempted an onside kick with 1:29 and three timeouts left.
n I would鈥檝e kicked deep to a team that鈥檚 long kickoff return this season is 26 yards and forced Hodges to convert one first down. The onside kick 鈥� while needing a great grab and hold by Cam Sutton 鈥� gave the Steelers enough room to not convert but still punt the ball back deep. And that鈥檚 when Holton paid off by downing that punt at the 1.
n The other word that works: Whew.
n Sutton did make another play. His interception at the Chargers 34 virtually ended the game and gave him statistical cred on a defense that鈥檚 getting better each week.
n And that鈥檚 part two of the 鈥渆xcitement鈥� of this 2-4 season thus far 鈥� and also why Tuitt鈥檚 injury might be a gut punch.
n As of press time, the lineman who鈥檚 been the Steelers鈥� most dominant defender, and who at age 26 appears on the brink of an All-Pro season, was still being evaluated. From past experience with not only Tuitt鈥檚 injuries but Cam Heyward鈥檚 torn pectoral muscle in 2016, optimism is in short supply.
n Tuitt, combined with Heyward and the OLBs, gives the Steelers the ability to 鈥済et there with four,鈥� a defensive strategy that every coordinator wishes he had the talent to employ. And Tuitt might be the best 鈥� or at least most promising 鈥� of that group.
n Enter Javon Hargrave and Tyson Alualu, a quality veteran who batted a pass into the air for Devin Bush鈥檚 second turnover of the first quarter.
n That鈥檚 enough to keep this defense afloat, but perhaps not enough to keep it progressing into the dominant force it appears destined to become.
n Alualu and Sutton showed off the defensive depth, as did Artie Burns, who received a game ball for his work in place of Steven Nelson. But the bye week will be necessary to not only give Tuitt time 鈥� if time will even help 鈥� but also Nelson, Mark Barron, Joe Haden, T.J. Watt and maybe even Sean Davis.
n It鈥檚 a deep unit that鈥檚 being barraged by injuries. A week off before playing the winless Miami Dolphins will no doubt be appreciated by the walking wounded, too.
n A home game against the 3-2 Colts follows that game, so the Steelers have legitimate reason to hope for a .500 record at the halfway point of a schedule that eases noticeably down the stretch.
n Notes on .500 records, backup quarterbacks and injuries might not be the most glamorous read for Steelers fans a day after a big upset, but consider the alternative that was brought to cinematic life when Rivers grabbed Mike Hilton in frustration as he walked off the field.
n People continue to say 鈥� as Tomlin did before the game 鈥� that Rivers is a 鈥淗all of Fame caliber quarterback,鈥� but he just lost a home game to Duck Hodges and his team fell to 2-4. This was in front of one of the more impressive Steelers road throngs in a strong history of 鈥渢raveling well.鈥�
n The Chargers even started to play 鈥淩enegade鈥� in the fourth quarter.
n 鈥淭hat was amazing, until they made it a joke,鈥� Bush said of the 15 or so seconds the song played over the PA. 鈥淚t was cool.鈥�
n Bush has been pretty cool, too. His two turnovers Sunday were his fifth and sixth of the season. The Steelers now have 15 takeaways after six games, or as many as they had all of last season.
n The excitement never ends in what should be a dull, even bleak, season, but isn鈥檛 even close to that.