We have another Steeler loss and another morbid display of bad football from the “Young Money” crew.
All I hear out of some of the NFL experts is how this Steelers wide receiving corps might be one of the most talented in the entire NFL. They might have a lot of talent, and they might possess a strong skillset, but they also make up for that with an overabundance of stupidity.
Let’s look at Antonio Brown’s day. After the Steelers force a Dallas punt leading 24-17, it appeared the Steelers were somewhat in control, and could start going to work on the clock. Instead, Brown fields the punt, fails to secure the ball and ends up fumbling to give Dallas new life and a ton of momentum. Dallas marched right down the field for the tying score.
Brown also inexplicably played 60 yards off the punt late in the game and failed to properly field the ball, which cost the Steelers a good 20 yards in field position. Let’s not forget on the Steelers final drive when he ran straight out of bounds instead of staying inbounds to force the Cowboys to burn a crucial timeout.
Emmanuel Sanders dropped a big first down conversion on the opening drive. It was about an inch away from being a crucial fumble, but the Steelers got the benefit of the doubt. Sanders was also injured on the play.
Mike Wallace double clutched a key catch on third down, costing the Steelers another crucial first down conversion. You also had to love the effort he showed on the fateful interception in overtime. Real nice of him to stand there and watch Brandon Carr get up and run all the way to the goal line. Maybe a little bit of effort would have helped give the Steelers a slight chance to stop the Cowboys in overtime.
I keep waiting for this “Money” crew to prove they are worth it. I keep being sorely disappointed.
Brown signed a five-year extension for over $42 million dollars in the offseason. How does that investment look right now? He has three 100-yard games in a three-year career. That’s not exactly “money” to me. He has five receiving touchdowns in that same three-year span. Does that sound “money” to you?
If only these guys could pull their heads out of their butts and make some crucial plays for the Steelers, maybe they wouldn’t be sitting at 7-7. Brown had two fumbles, including a crucial lost one in the earlier Raiders loss. You can easily pin most of this loss today on him as well. Wallace had a crucial fumble that led to a Ravens FG in a three-point loss. Sanders fumbled the ball in a 20-14 loss to the Browns and then fumbled a week later in a tight win over the Ravens. These mistakes are a major reason why the Steelers are fighting for a No. 6 seed instead of handily winning the AFC North and competing for a bye right now.
I guess the most frustrating thing is the fact you have guys on this team who know how to make big plays in the clutch, namely Heath Miller. After a sizzling first half of production, the Steelers stopped using him as a weapon. Why? It’s not like the other guys are making plays when given the chance. Why stop using the one guy who has been your most consistent playmaker all season?
Unlike the Young Money Crew, Miller lets his play do all his talking. He doesn’t need a catchy nickname. He doesn’t show off after a first down. He doesn’t sprint backwards the last 20 yards and draw an excessive celebration flag. All he does is catch the ball when it’s thrown to him.
Maybe the “Young Money” crew could learn a thing or two from the “Old Money.”
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