5 Steelers To Be Grateful For In 2024
Comfortable Thanksgiving, Steelers’ followers. There’s a lot to be grateful for for an 8-3 staff. Even coming off a Thursday evening loss to the Cleveland Browns, the staff is in a stronger place than many regionally and nationally anticipated firstly of the 12 months. With that mentioned, right here’s 5 Steelers we’re grateful for to assist get Pittsburgh up to now.
1. Okay Chris Boswell
Time and time once more, the Steelers depend on Boswell to complete what the offense can’t. He’s having his greatest season ever, a excessive bar contemplating what he’s finished in 12 months’s previous. He leads the league with 31 made area targets and stays on monitor to set a single-season document for many area targets. His 9 kicks of 50-plus yards rank third league-wide and are already greater than he’s ever hit in a single 12 months. Boswell’s solely two misses have come from deep vary, 58 and 62-yard tries. He even crammed in admirably as emergency punter within the season opener.
Ideally, the Steelers’ offense turns round to forestall him from being leaned on a lot. However till that time, Boswell has been very important to their success.
2. DL Cam Heyward
There have been loads of questions and doubts surrounding Heyward this season. Understandably so. He’s 35, coming off an injury-marred 2024, and signed an extension by way of 2026. However he’s proven unimaginable endurance with power that hasn’t gone away. He’s been one of many NFL’s high inside defensive linemen, nonetheless elite towards the run and an efficient cross rusher.
The tape says sufficient however when you care about PFF grades, he’s their No. 1-graded general defensive lineman, No. 4 towards the run, and their No. 2 cross rusher.
Heyward is second on the staff with 5 sacks and the Steelers are utilizing him smarter, lowering his snap rely by about 10-percent in comparison with previous years.
3. OL Mason McCormick/Zach Frazier
Arduous to not put one with out the opposite. Although first-round OT Troy Fautanu is shelved for the 12 months, the Steelers are nonetheless beginning a pair of rookies up entrance. Frazier has been one of many NFL’s greatest younger facilities. Sturdy, balanced, and constant, he seems just like the staff’s starter for the following 10 years.
McCormick has been simply as spectacular. Maybe his play hasn’t been as high quality however as a small-school rookie flipping from left to proper guard mid-season, he’s dealt with these heavy obstacles effectively. And he made the coolest-looking block of 2024.
4. TE Darnell Washington
Discuss a second-year soar. After a reasonably non-descript rookie season, Washington seems like a significantly better participant as a sophomore. His snap timing has improved, his run blocking extra constant, and the offense has gotten him extra concerned within the passing recreation. Previous to the Browns recreation, Washington was matching or out-producing Pat Freiermuth’s manufacturing over the previous month.
Simply this staff’s greatest blocking tight finish, the Steelers have leaned on him as their in-line ‘Y’ whereas Freiermuth will get cut up out extra typically. Washington has additionally been utilized in cross safety extra typically this 12 months and finished a pleasant job.
5. SS DeShon Elliott
Elliott was hardly the splashiest offseason addition. On the time, I believed he was an excellent match however didn’t even count on him to have this type of season. An ideal field security aggressive and dependable towards the run, he’s made splash performs in protection, together with a pressured fumble in Thursday evening’s loss to the Browns. I’ve mentioned it earlier than and can gladly repeat myself. DeShon Elliott was constructed for AFC North ball.
He’s been constant, sturdy, and finished every thing the staff has requested of him and complemented FS Minkah Fitzpatrick in addition to you could possibly think about. He’s what Terrell Edmunds was imagined to be .
