Mark Madden: Beating Ravens would legitimize Steelers' hopes of AFC North title ... and more

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• Beating Washington on the road legitimizes the Steelers’ 7-2 record. Beating Baltimore at Acrisure Stadium this coming Sunday would legitimize their pursuit of the AFC North championship and their possibility of winning a playoff game. (Or games.) The Steelers just beat Lamar Jr. Now they have to beat Lamar.

• The usual suspects are bleating Mike Tomlin’s candidacy for Coach of the Year, and he’s not undeserving. But his credentials boil down to one decision: Making Russell Wilson QB1. Justin Fields doesn’t win that game at Washington. Wilson’s numbers on Sunday weren’t great. But he makes the plays that are necessary. He keeps everything focused. He’s a professional quarterback. He’s the Steelers’ primary catalyst.

• The moon ball is amazing. Wilson drops it right in there. Wilson made Mike Williams a star on his very first target as a Steeler. It’s the power of the moon ball. It reminds me of the alley-oop in “Semi-Pro,” Will Ferrell’s finest movie: “I love the moon ball!”

• The Steelers’ defense is not elite. It’s pretty good, no better. Washington put together touchdown drives of 94 and 71 yards on each side of halftime. That’s not elite. (Disclaimer: It is the era of score more and faster.)

• T.J. Watt has had more quiet games than noisy. Witness one pass defended, two quarterback hits, zero sacks and zero tackles vs. Washington. Sure, he’s being double-teamed and held a lot. Too bad. When you make $30 million, plays are required. Not excuses. Watt is nowhere close to his previous Defensive Player of the Year standard. Perhaps he needs to vary his approach. Be less predictable.

• Minkah Fitzpatrick has had more quiet games than noisy. All of them.

• Cam Heyward: Two sacks and two tackles for loss. That’s how you do it.

• Patrick Queen was actually noticeable. More of that would help.

• The Steelers should blitz more, especially with Alex Highsmith out for a bit. That four-man rush isn’t getting home enough. Preston Smith should be adequate in Highsmith’s absence. When Nick Herbig returns, his snaps should be limited by way of avoiding injury. (But he’ll get hurt again.)

• The fake punt call was excellent. James Pierre just dropped the ball. That’s why he’s a defensive back, not a receiver. But the play was there, and it’s the perfect time to call it: Up 7-0 and in the first quarter. If it succeeds, you blow the game open. If it fails, there’s time to mitigate the damage. Which the Steelers did.

• The Steelers should have been awarded a safety when Watt was held in the end zone. Perhaps Jaylen Warren’s forward progress had been stopped before he fumbled. But Zach Ertz not making the sticks on Washington’s last possession could have easily gone the other way. You got no complaint with the refs.

• The way Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein started the season, he was likely to get $2 million NIL to transfer to LSU or Michigan. Now he’d be lucky to get an Applebee’s gift card from IUP. What happened?

• Pitt was never going to win the ACC or make the College Football Playoff. But now, after losing two straight games, the hope for either is gone. So is the fun. This coming Saturday home matchup vs. Clemson could have been a big occasion. Now it feels like more impending doom.

• I have never seen a play get a do-over because the referees weren’t ready. Virginia was beneficiary of that bizarre call on Saturday. It’s all part of Pitt turning into Pitt.

• On ESPN’s venerated “College GameDay” program, Pat McAfee led LSU students in a clearly audible chant that obscenely demanded a sex act. McAfee can do whatever he wants. He 100% runs ESPN.

• Goalie Tristan Jarry is back with the Penguins. He’s 29. It’s his seventh full NHL season. If he has confidence problems, here’s how to navigate that: Start him every game that isn’t the second leg of a back-to-back. He goes 60 minutes no matter what. Don’t let Jarry use getting pulled as a crutch. If he lets in nine goals, see if he can prevent a 10th. Either he regroups or gets broken permanently. The former is the Penguins’ best bet. The latter is something not worth dragging out any further.

• Erik Karlsson didn’t play much better than he had been in the Penguins’ 4-2 win at Washington on Friday. He still made his usual errors. But he got a goal and assist. Karlsson has always been a liability defensively, and with turnovers. But production alleviates that. Until he got to Pittsburgh, he produced a lot.

• Aliquippa High School football didn’t make the WPIAL final for the first time since 2007. All it took was making them play two classes higher than their enrollment.

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