Not only are the Pittsburgh Steelers 2-0 to begin the 2024 season, but they got both wins while on the road. Their upcoming Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers will be their home opener. Even though their Week 1 game in Atlanta was full of Steelers fans, many players will be getting their first true experience with a home crowd full of Terrible Towels. Many first-time Steelers players have played elsewhere in the NFL, but there is nothing like being the home team.
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Steelers' Patrick Queen and Najee Harris going at it during a backs on backers drill in Latrobe.
Patrick Queen has seen how wild Acrisure Stadium can get first-hand, but this will be the first time he experiences it as a Steeler. During a locker room interview, he was asked about what he was most excited about in his first home game in Pittsburgh as a member of the team, and he did not disappoint with his answer.
"I’m ready to hear Renegade in the fourth quarter. That’s what I’ve been waiting on. I just can’t wait to get in front of the fans and just play our hearts out."
There is no close-game tradition like Renegade. The lights all completely go dark, and the fans immediately know what's going on. The great Styx song starts up with a bass-boosted intro, then everyone in the stands goes wild. It helps the Steelers get a little extra energy boost while making it harder on the opponents to get their play calls out and be on the same page for the snap counts.
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Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave their Terrible Towels aggressively as Styx's famous song, Renegade, plays during a home game at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.
As a member of the Baltimore Ravens for four years, Queen would have to make a yearly trip to Pittsburgh to play in hostile territory. While he could never participate in Renegade, he saw the effect that it had on the Steelers. He understood what the song meant to the fans and the players. Now, instead of watching as the song gives them new life, he will be the one to get that second wind to secure the win.
Renegade gets played when the Steelers are on defense, which makes it even better for Queen. Instead of getting excited from the sideline, he can take that hype to the field and knock people around a little harder or get to the ball-carrier a little faster. He was taught to despise everything related to Pittsburgh for so long, but now, he wants nothing more than to embrace every little bit of it and feed off of that energy.
Steelers' Usage Of Renegade In Recent Years
The perfect example of how the song changes the atmosphere is their 2018 game against the New England Patriots. Going into the commercial break for the two-minute warning, Jim Nantz and Tony Romo were calm and collected like any announcer would be after a two-yard run. After the break, they had to shout over the crowd just so the broadcast could understand what they were saying.
The Patriots immediately committed a false start as well. Even though they eventually pushed the ball downfield, the Steelers held them to a turnover on downs to win the game. The crowd noise before and after the song was very obvious to tell, and it truly has an effect on the game at hand.
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Steelers' George Pickens secures 41-yard touchdown and the winning score against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, 2023.
There was also the 2023 game against Queen's Ravens at the time. The defense was already having an overall good game, but the offense felt the effects afterwards as well. After yet another crucial defensive stop, Kenny Pickett led an eight play, 80-yard drive that ended in a 41-yard dime to George Pickens for the go-ahead touchdown. The Steelers had a few clutch moments strung together with Pickett, and Renegade probably helped with that quite a bit.
What do you think about Queen wanting to experience Renegade more than anything? Let us know in the comments.
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