The Pittsburgh Steelers were headed for a blue Christmas after they dropped consecutive games to the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts. George Pickens was getting ripped by several members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who had the opportunity to speak into a microphone last week. Mike Tomlin was the subject of trade rumors, and Art Rooney II was being blasted for seemingly taking a long winter's nap.
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Steelers' George Pickens turns Mason Rudolph's pass into an 86-yard touchdown.
Fast forward to the game of Mason Rudolph’s life and a 34-11 drubbing of the Cincinnati Bengals. Somehow, Pittsburgh has a chance to make the playoffs. The most likely scenario revolves around beating the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens on the road to finish 10-7. It won’t be easy based on how they have played in the second half of the 2023 season, but it is possible.
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Steelers defensive tackle Armon Watts put a "Christmas victory" on his letter to Santa.
Cam Heyward returned to YouTube with his Not Just Football podcast on Wednesday after fully recovering from a concussion he suffered against the Colts. Heyward was joined by his co-host Hayden Walsh and revealed that the Steelers had a hidden catalyst to thank for the most impressive victory the franchise has posted since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
“It’s funny, one of our players Armon Watts, he broke it down real simple,” Heyward said. “He was just talking to the d-line. He was like dude, 'I got to travel the day before Christmas, so we need to win this game now. I got to see my kids.'”
A victory was at the top of Steeler Nation’s list for Santa, but with all due respect, it might not top any tiny tot's list. Armon Watts was signed as a free agent in the offseason by Andy Weidl and Omar Khan. He has spent five years in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and the Steelers. After starting 21 games in 2021 and 2022, Watts has played 13 games for the 2023 Steelers in a reserve role. His most important contribution of the season might be the words that hit home with the defensive line.
“We’ve all got to see our kids too,” Heyward recalls smiling. “We don’t want to go to Christmas and be thinking about a loss.”
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The Steelers played with their hair on fire against the Bengals. The defense was wounded, but based on how effective they were in stopping the run on Saturday, it seemed that they heard every taunt and dig that was freely flowing from the Bengals. The offense supplied enough points to make Jake Browning one-dimensional, and the defense capitalized despite being forced to scavenge the country looking for able-bodied defenders at linebacker and safety.
Heyward indicated that Watts's message was just for the defensive line, but it is worth wondering if the door to the meeting room was open. The message seemed to resonate with Rudolph, who shined in the best game of his career. Pickens had been doing his best impersonation of the Grinch who stole Jaylen Warren’s touchdown, but his on-field performance grew three times on Saturday.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren carries the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers were in danger of posting a four-game losing streak and staring down the barrel of the Tomlin apocalypse. Watts called upon the magic of Christmas for the defensive line, and it delivered. Santa Claus dropped down the chimney of Acrisure Stadium in the final home game of 2023 and was not stingy with the presents. The offense and defense played complimentary football and, for one weekend, looked like a legitimate threat.
Pittsburgh dug a very deep hole before posting a victory. Rudolph will get another opportunity to lead the Steelers in one of the toughest venues in all of sports when they visit the Seattle Seahawks on New Year's Eve. The black and gold called on Christmas magic to keep the season alive in Week 16. The question is, will Rudolph call on Baby New Year to deliver another victory on Sunday?
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Did Pittsburgh tap into holiday magic with their victory at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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