I have been very critical of the Steelers this season. I thought that trading their first-round pick of Minkah Fitzpatrick was just a stupid overreaction to losing Big Ben. I could not have been more wrong. Not only has this team look just as good or even better without Ben Roethlisberger, but Minkah Fitzpatrick has turned this entire defense around. The Steelers have now won four straight games. Something has clicked on this team and one of the easiest things to point to is the addition of Fitzpatrick. He has not necessarily put up crazy numbers with the Steelers but ever since his addition, this seems like a new defense. As this season has played out I think we can acknowledge a couple of things. This defense is what carries this team. The offense seems to always have different guys in there and can score points. The defense is the part of this team that has stepped up and changed them. I do think though this only can hurt Ben Roethlisberger moving forward. He is a very talented quarterback but this team is now winning games without him there. Also, it seems like this is a system where lots of quarterbacks could be plugged into. An elbow injury at 37 years old does not usually mean you have that many years left ahead of you in the NFL. While it may be tough to say goodbye to Roethlisberger it may be the best for this franchise and Roethlisberger’s career. Mason Rudolph has been okay all year. He is probably not the Steelers long term option at quarterback. When thinking about the direction they may go in, one name quickly pops into my head. They don’t need a guy that goes above and beyond to win games. They just need another solid guy who will consistently get the job done. Insert the quarterback from the University of Georgia Jake Fromm. Fromm is nowhere near flashy. That is not what the Steelers need. Right now the Steelers don’t have a pick day one of the draft. With the depth of the quarterback class in the upcoming draft, I don’t see Fromm going until day two. I think this is where the Steelers will snatch him up. I think this is ultimately the best move for the Steelers. They are getting hot at the right time. I do think they will find a way into the playoffs. This is a talented football team that I think needs to start getting more credit for what they are doing.
Categories: NFL
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