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2023 Steelers Season Recall: Young Texans team puts Pittsburgh, AFC on notice – Steel City Underground
Steel City Underground presents our 2023 Steelers Recall: a look back at Pittsburgh Steelers games and storylines from last season.
The 2-1 Pittsburgh Steelers rolled into Houston to face the 1-2 Texans in Week 4 of the NFL regular season. At this time no one was aware that the worst team in football a year earlier would be one of the toughest teams to beat as the 2023 season unfolded.
Steelers fans were expecting an easy victory after Pittsburgh rolled through Las Vegas while also noticing the Texans had struggled in their first two games against the Ravens and Colts. As such, Pittsburgh entered Sunday’s game as three-point favorites, which is insulting with the way the game played out.
The Steelers offense was abysmal, scoring six points in total for the entire game. The first half saw Kenny Pickett start an eight play, 13-yard drive with an interception. On the next four possessions to close the half, the Steelers would operate drives of 3, 3, 5, and 5 plays. They would gain two yards on each of the drives after the 13-yard turnover series, punting four consecutive times.
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Punting was an area of true concern heading into this game it was the Steelers signing and then elevating punter Brad Wing from the practice squad to play in place of the injured Pressley Harvin. Wing, who hadn’t played in an NFL game since December 2017, could’ve been a liability not only in the punting game but the kicking game as well (as a holder).
Wing wasn’t either, as the Steelers would convert both of their field goal attempts (on the first two drives of the second half) while the punter booted three different punts 50-plus yards.
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Those two scoring drives would be the the only action on either side of the ball, as the Steelers defense folded like a chair used to reserve a parking space around Pittsburgh. Houston would score on their first three drives (touchdown and two field goals) while crushing the time of possession in the first half with over 18 minutes having the football.
The Steelers defense gave up 30 total points in the game, as rookie QB C.J. Stroud passed for over 300 yards (306) and two touchdowns, with no interceptions.
Houston had 24 first downs and 451 net yards of offense. This is not what anyone expected Pittsburgh’s defense to play like heading into last weekend, because a Houston team playing almost entirely with backups on their offensive line didn’t give up a single sack to Pittsburgh in this game. Stroud, who was sacked 11 times in his first two games, roamed free all game. This is in spite of September’s Defensive Player of the Month T.J Watt and Week 2’s AFC Defensive Player of the Week Alex Highsmith being on the Steelers’ side.
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The worst series of events occured in the third quarter, where the Steelers had scored on each of their first drives to open the half and were attempting to keep the momentum going after closing the gap to 16-6. With roughly five minutes remaining in the third quarter, the defense had done its job, forcing the Texans into a four-play drive and punting, potentially setting up the final Steelers offensive series before the fourth quarter with a chance to close the game to within a one-possession score.
A fumble would set the Steelers at the 50-yard line for a 3rd-and-18 try, with QB Kenny Pickett finding WR George Pickens on a pass play which fell one yard short of a first down. The Steelers, at the Houston 33-yard line, would call a timeout as the staff discussed what to do next. Seeing as they had a backup punter holding for field goal tries, they came out of the break and… into a shotgun formation.
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With TE Connor Heyward now in for an injured Pat Freiermuth – and Jaylen Warren having lost two yards on a previous 3rd-and-1 play, what ensued was the worst-case scenario. The Steelers turned the ball on downs as Kenny Pickett was sacked – and injured. Pickett was immediately ruled out with a knee injury.
After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin told the media, “Hell yeah we’ve got to make some changes.. that was an ugly product we put out there today. We’re not going to do the same things and hope for a different outcome. What those changes are, we’ll put together a plan in preparation.”
Pickett joined Freiermuth and Dan Moore Jr. in leaving the game, while the Steelers played this matchup at NRG Stadium without P Pressley Harvin, RG James Daniels, WR Diontae Johnson, and DE Cameron Heyward. The latter two were already on Injured Reserve prior to kickoff, but injuries were mounting as the Steelers dropped to a 2-2 record with a 30-6 loss.
Next up would be a mammoth test in Week 5 as the Steelers hosted the 3-1 division-leading Baltimore Ravens. Stay tuned next week as we revisit that game and others throughout the summer in our Recall series.
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Pittsburg, PA
Radio host goes off on Pittsburgh Steelers star: ‘A flat-out disappointment’
2022 was the last time Minkah Fitzpatrick caused a turnover. Once known as the NFL’s premier ballhawk that all teams had to be worried about, Fitzpatrick has faded into the background of the Steelers’ defense. In 2023, he missed seven games due to hamstring and knee injuries. Now, in 2024, he is back at free safety, but Fitzpatrick still has not made the big-time plays.
According to most charting statistics, Fitzpatrick has the worst season of his career. Pro Football Focus has him charted for 18 receptions on 24 targets, allowing a passer rating of 135.8 and 13.8 yards per reception. Tight ends have victimized Fitzpatrick.
93.7 the Fan radio host Joe Starkey has had enough of the excuses for Fitzpatrick’s play. Starkey believes Fitzpatrick is ‘a flat-out disappointment’ this season, and the Steelers should have a serious conversation about his contract and role.
“Minkah Fitzpatrick is a flat-out disappointment,” Starkey said. “He’s given up a lot. I don’t think they’re just ignoring him the entire game. This isn’t Darrelle Revis in college.”
Fitzpatrick’s lack of splash plays is concerning, but the Steelers have not allowed many explosive plays this season and have the No. 4 scoring defense in the NFL for a reason. His coverage over the top has been effective in that regard. Yet, the Steelers want to see more splash plays from him, too.
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Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburg father killed in hit-and-run crash after leaving church
PITTSBURG – A father of two was fatally struck while walking home from church in Pittsburg on Friday night.
Police said they received a call about 9:15 p.m. about a crash in the 1500 block of Willow Pass Road and when officers arrived they found Joaquin Reveulta Galvez in the middle of the street.
Revuelta Galvez was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.
“There was some vehicle debris and the lone victim and that was the extent of the scene,” Cpt. Philip Galer said, adding that there was a headlight of a vehicle also there at the crash site.
In a news release, police said the entire crash was captured on surveillance video.
Revuelta Galvez’s family said investigators told them that he appeared to stumble and fall to the ground before the vehicle hit him.
“He was wearing sandals, and then he fell and landed in the street and a car ran over him,” said his partner Maribel Macias. The couple have two grown sons, and Macias said the young men were close with their father.
Macias said the family didn’t know about the crash until one of them noticed the emergency responders and police vehicles around the corner from the mobile home park where they live.
Now, during the holidays, she and her sons are grieving for Revuelta Galvez.
They said Revuelta Galvez had already been through so much. He had been recovering from brain surgery last year, but despite his health problems, he was a friendly neighbor and loving father with a good heart.
A relative said they saw him at the Sovereign Shepherd Church just a half hour before the crash, and he had bought some pupusas to bring back home.
His family wonders how someone could drive away and leave him there.
“If they had called 9-1-1… he would be alive right now. We don’t know how long he was on the ground bleeding, dying,” Macias said.
A relative set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay for burial and funeral expenses.
Galer said investigators are withholding details from the surveillance footage to protect the investigation.
He said they do have leads on the vehicle that struck Revuelta Galvez.
Anyone with information on the hit-and-run crash is asked to contact Pittsburg police at (925) 646-2442 or contact Officer James Pena at (925) 252-4146.
Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com. Call her at 510-326-5529. Or follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU and read her other reports on her bio page.
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Have Weekly Plans for Justin Fields
The Pittsburgh Steelers have put their plan to increase quarterback Justin Fields’ involvement in motion, though it’s not yet a completely ironed-out component of the offense.
Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, Fields stated that the Steelers have a package in place for him every week, though it isn’t always clear how or when he’ll be utilized.
“I have a set package each and every week,” Fields said. “I think the play-calling is random to be honest with you. It’s kind of a feel thing with Arthur [Smith]. How I’m going to be used is a question for him honestly.”
After logging three snaps and rushing for 17 yards in Pittsburgh’s Week 11 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Fields saw his reps more than doubled to seven in a Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
The highlight of the 25-year-old’s day was a 30-yard run in the fourth quarter that advanced the Steelers into Cleveland territory, with the drive resulting in a Jaylen Warren touchdown. Fields’ two other attempts on the ground went for a combined -4 yards.
Pittsburgh also put their trust in him through the air on a 3rd-and-4 play while up 19-18 with 3:34 left in the contest. On his first throw since Week 6, Fields targeted George Pickens down the field but couldn’t complete the connection, which brought on the punt unit.
The Browns scored on their ensuing possession before thwarting the Steelers’ final scoring attempt of the night to clinch the victory.
Russell Wilson, who went 21-for-28 with 270 yards and a touchdown, also shared his uncertainty as to how and when Fields would be inserted into games moving forward.
“I don’t know when it’s going to happen,” Wilson said. “Whenever it does, all I want us to do is win. When Justin gets in there I’m rooting for Justin to do great and make a big play. When I go back in, it’s vice versa. We’re always rooting for each other.”
The Steelers haven’t been quiet about their intentions to continue featuring Fields. While things didn’t shake their way against the Browns as they perfect those arrangements, it’s fair to assume they’ll continue to ramp up his participation as the season continues on.
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