The Steelers Are the NFL’s Ultimate ‘Yes, And’ Team

By Scott Allen on October 31, 2023

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I am a former teacher. While in college, I required a fine arts class, and I enrolled in an introduction to acting course. Friends find it funny when I bring up some of the stories from that class, but it was useful. One element of the curriculum was an improv unit. “Yes, and” is a foundational tool for improv. When responding to a counterpart during a scene, one must respond with a “yes, and” approach to continue the story. It’s basic improvisation and it’s also the perfect device to discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Yes, the officials were inconsistent with their calls. Mike Tomlin was flabbergasted by the offsides call on Chris Boswell’s 56-yard field goal. The call pushed them back 5 yards and the Steelers were down six instead of three going into the locker room at halftime. Losing by a single score certainly makes that call even more consequential. 

And, the Steelers were unable to maneuver fluidly throughout the first and second half and were abysmal on third downs

Yes, the roughing the passer call on a clean hit to Trevor Lawrence was a stark contrast to the hit that knocked Kenny Pickett out of the game and caused a 10-second runoff with the Steelers in scoring range.

And, Kenny missed a wide-open Diontae Johnson that would have put the Steelers up by one in the first half, assuming the extra point wasn’t flagged for some obscure call. 

Yes, the Steelers were bitten by the injury bug early. The absence of Minkah Fitzpatrick was felt throughout the game, particularly on Travis Etienne’s 53-yard touchdown. Keanu Neal undercut the pass trying to make a play, leaving left nothing but green in front of the stud running back and putting the game out of reach.

And, the offense was unable to capitalize on timely turnovers by the defense. The two forced fumbles and the interception amounted to a whopping three points. It was a display of the Steeler’s inability to move the ball down the field consistently. Kenny Pickett was inaccurate on multiple big-moment throws that could have flipped the script and given them solid momentum. 

Yes, George Pickens‘ touchdown was highlight material, and his athleticism was on full display on that play. 

And, his reaction after a toe-tap sideline grab that was later ruled out gave fans flashbacks of Chase Claypool celebrating a first down during a two-minute drive against the Vikings. Pickens sauntered back toward the middle of the field instead of rushing back to get another play off. Instead, Doug Peterson’s team had time to review the film and advise the challenge. Halting the drive where it was. 

Ultimately, Tomlin was manufacturing a win exactly to the script I mentioned last week. They were in close, the defense was coming up huge. After the injury to Pickett, though, their lack of ability to improvise was exposed. The Steelers had no answers late, forcing the ball down the field and putting it into harm’s way, or taking check-downs to the middle of the field when time was not on their side. I’m not wagering that the Steelers would have won the game if Pickett stayed in and the field goal counted, but it absolutely changed the complexion of the game. Fans were poised to watch a second-half comeback, and that was foiled before the locker room adjustments were even able to be discussed.

Instead, the offense floundered for another 30 minutes of play, and the game was out of reach. 

Yes, the Steelers are a stable organization and will likely remain above .500 if they can bounce back on a short week. They have a light schedule at home for the next two weeks, so they may be able to weather the storm.

And, they didn’t pass a massive test this week. They didn’t react to the change of landscape, and they paid the price. If the roster is without Pickett and Fitzpatrick, the Steelers must change their approach and find ways to succeed without three of their captains on the field. 

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