But if they don’t realize the Steelers are just the first challenge in what will be a far more hard season – one in which 9-7 probably would be an aspiration, not a baseline assumption – then they run the risk of every kind of self-inflicted mischief.
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Washington couldn’t get out of its own way, and the Steelers took advantage. The result was a blowout-and more evidence that this team is still a pretender, not a contender. “We were confident in them but more importantly than that they delivered the plays, and that’s what’s required”.
“They gave us a man look, safety was kind of in the middle of the field, got the ball off quick and let (Brown) make a play”, Roethlisberger said. “We didn’t have any control over how they utilize Norman”.
Josh Norman will not keep especially fond memories of his debut in Washington. Gruden’s club had a chance to chance that perception on Monday night with the country watching-and squandered it.
Trailing early in the second quarter on Monday night and his team well within field goal range, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin could have opted for a field goal that would have cut Washington’s lead in half.
Anticipation during the week that Brown and the boisterous Norman would face each other Monday night was squelched by the Redskins cornerbacks sticking to their sides – Norman on the left, Breeland on the right.
So why didn’t Washington put Norman on Brown more, or exclusively?
Five of Brown’s receptions, by the way, converted a third- or fourth-down play, two of which resulted in his two touchdowns for 29 and 26 yards. The defensive line’s ineffectiveness allowed Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger too much time to find Antonio Brown. And it showed just how slim the margin between great and so-so can be. Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey knocked the ball out of Kerrigan’s hands, and Roethlisberger dived on it at his 13-yard line.
Pittsburgh lived a charmed life, as another apparent fumble by Brown was ruled an incompletion. Williams polished off the final 15 on a touchdown run around left end behind blocks by David DeCastro and Sammie Coates.
“It was a freaky night”, Breeland said. The last six games of the season his quarterback rating was over 100. That came with Bell serving the first game of his three-game drug suspension and DeAngelo Williams filling in more than admirably like he did last season. We still don’t know.
Meanwhile, his Super Bowl-winning counterpart posted a virtuoso performance for Pittsburgh.
So now the question becomes: Can they get their act together in time to host the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday and avoid an 0-2 start? Words cannot describe how very bad this game was for Cousins and company. Green Bay, Arizona and Carolina still to play.
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“Good to see that none of the redskins or steelers player took a knee during the national anthem”, another user wrote. “We have to get better in a hurry, starting Tuesday”.
