Category: 2020 Steelers vs. Cowboys NFL Week 9

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger should be a frontrunner for NFL MVP

Steelers Wire makes the case for Ben Roethlisberger as NFL MVP.

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Do you know how many times in his Hall of Fame career, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been a finalist for NFL MVP? Zero. If you think this is surprising, read on. Do you know how many votes for NFL MVP Roethlisberger has gotten total in his career? Also zero.

Putting aside was a ridiculous travesty this is, it should change this season. Roethlisberger’s return this season has been the single biggest influence on this team in terms of success on the field. And what is a better way to illustrate than to watch a team go from .500 to undefeated in a year with literally one significant change, meaning Roethlisberger?

On the season, Roethlisberger has 1,934 passing yards which isn’t going to move the needle for those obsessed with stats. But his 68.1 percent completion percentage is the best of his career and he is on pace for a career-high 36 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions.

At the start of the year, a case could be made the only award Roethlisberger could win is Comeback Player of the Year. But if you want a true measure of value you have to see the impact Roethlisberger has made this season and if this doesn’t get him some votes, he will never get any.

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The good, the bad, the ugly from the Steelers lucky 24-19 win

It’s not easy to find something to feel good about in the Steelers performance versus Dallas.

A team that has nothing to lose is one to fear. The Steelers feared not heading into this game — and it showed.

Yet, they managed to squeak out another win to remain undefeated.

Here are some observations from the game:

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin after another close win: ‘We can’t keep having this conversation’

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told the media he’s happy to get the win no matter how it comes.

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It wasn’t pretty but the Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to be the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday 24-19. The postgame once again centered around the team’s inability to play a full game and being forced to come back late to squeak out a win.

After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media and when asked about another slow start, Tomlin acknowledged how fortunate the team has been. “We can’t keep having this conversation every week b/c one of these weeks we’ll be doing it w/ an ‘L,” Tomlin said.

A case can be made the Steelers have the best record in the NFL but aren’t the best team in the league. Nevertheless, this team keeps winning and ugly wins still count the same. But Tomlin is exactly right. You have to assume this team’s luck is going to run out at some point and one of these games are going to end up a loss.

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Steelers sneak out of Dallas with 24-19 win

It wasn’t pretty but the Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to pull out the win over the Dallas Cowboys.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers certainly have a flair for the dramatic. For the third-straight week, the Steelers pushed the game to the final seconds before pulling on an improbable 24-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys to improve their record to 8-0 on the season.

Once again Pittsburgh was forced to come back from a double-digit deficit to pull off a win when everything was going against them.

The Steelers offense was once again shouldered by Ben Roethlisberger despite suffering a knee injury in the first half. Roethlisberger finished with 306 yards and three passing touchdowns to zero interceptions. There are still some things he needs to work out in his game but in the second half the Pittsburgh coaches handed the game over to Big Ben and he answered the call.

Defensively the Steelers were great. Sort of. For the third straight week, there was no middle ground for Pittsburgh. The team was either making a splash play or giving one up. Pittsburgh forced three turnovers and sacked Cowboys quarterback Garrett Gilbert twice. But they also allowed Gilbert to throw for 243 yards and allowed the Cowboys to rush for 144 more.

The Steelers’ special teams were a nightmare. The coverage teams allowed two huge returns, kicker Chris Boswell missed one extra point and had another blocked.

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Steelers come out flat, trail Cowboys at halftime

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t played like the last undefeated team in the NFL through one half of football.

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This couldn’t be a trap game, right?

Unfortunately, this is exactly what the showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys is shaping up to be. Pittsburgh showed up tired and flat while Dallas came out with high energy and got out to an early 13-0 lead. Pittsburgh got a late touchdown to pull close but trail the Cowboys 13-9 at halftime.

A performance like this was inevitable. This team is coming off back-to-back brutal games and you without a true bye week the fatigue is showing.

To add to the problems, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a knee injury late in the first half. Big Ben stayed in and led the team to that touchdown but them limped off to the locker room. Mason Rudolph came in on the final drive and to no one’s surprise couldn’t move the football at all.

Defensively the Steelers came out very passive and the Cowboys took advantage. Late in the half you saw the defense up its intensity but by then the damage had been done. If this team is going to come back and win, it will be on the back of the defense.

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Steelers vs Cowboys inactives: New LB Avery Williamson active for Steelers

Here are the inactives for the Steelers and the Cowboys for this week’s game.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers announced their inactives for today’s game against the Dallas Cowboys and once again the team will be without cornerback Mike Hilton and defensive tackle Tyson Alualu. Here is the full list of inactives for this week.

QB Josh Dobbs

CB Mike Hilton

FB Derek Watt

OL Derwin Gray

TE Zach Gentry

DT Tyson Alualu

Without Alualu, Isaiah Buggs will see an increased role on defense the same goes for Cameron Sutton in place of Hilton. The Steelers will have their newest linebacker, Avery Williamson and he is one to keep an eye on early.

The Cowboys have the following inactives:

QB Ben DiNucci

WR Malik Turner

FS Reggie Robinson

FB Sewo Oloniula

ILB Joe Thomas

DE Bradley Anae

Dallas will have running back Ezekiel Elliott who was a game-time decision with a hamstring injury.

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Steelers vs Cowboys: 3 keys to victory

The Steelers cannot look past the Cowboys this week. Here are our keys to victory.

You might not think when the 7-0 Pittsburgh Steelers square off against the 2-6 Dallas Cowboys there would be a need for a lot of deep analysis of what the Steelers must do in order to win. Just who up, right? Not so much. Any given Sunday is real and Pittsburgh cannot take their eyes off the prize and get lax this week.

Here are our keys to victory.

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Steelers LB T.J. Watt talks problems with a young QB going against this D

No team pressures the quarterback like the Pittsburgh Steelers and T.J. Watt doesn’t see how a young QB can be ready.

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No team in the NFL does what the Pittsburgh Steelers do when it comes to rushing the quarterback. They have the most sacks in the league in one fewer game than the rest of the top four, leads the league in pressure and has three players in the top seven in sacks.

This doesn’t bode well for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Garrett Gilbert who is getting his first career start on Sunday against the Steelers. Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt spoke to ESPN’s Ed Werder and talked about how this team has used blitzes to confuse even the most veteran quarterbacks and how difficult it would be to prepare a young quarterback for this sort of onslaught.

If the Steelers beat the Cowboys, they will go to 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. By comparison, in 2019, the Steelers only won eight games all season and still nearly made the playoffs.

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Steelers release G Stefan Wisniewski, announce other roster moves

Pittsburgh announced a handful of roster moves on Saturday and Steelers Wire has them all here.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are flying to Dallas to take on the Cowboys and while that is happening the team continues to shuffle the roster. Here’s a rundown of the moves announced on Saturday.

Pittsburgh elevated newly-acquired linebacker Avery Williamson to the 53-man roster. The Steelers traded for Williamson with the New York Jets earlier in the week.

The Steelers also elevated safety Antoine Brooks Jr. and linebacker Jayrone Elliott to the 53-man roster. In addition, the Steelers signed defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas to the practice squad to fill the void.

Pittsburgh also announced they were releasing guard Stefen Wisniewski. Wisniewski was signed to provide veteran experience to the offensive line but was just unable to stay healthy. The Steelers also waived running back Trey Edmunds.

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Steelers vs. Cowboys: Dallas’ Garrett Gilbert will make first career start Sunday

The team finally named a starter for tomorrow’s matchup versus the Steelers.

The Dallas Cowboys are starting a Super Bowl winner at quarterback. The team finally named a starter for tomorrow’s matchup versus the Steelers, and the lucky guy is Garrett Gilbert.

Among the myriad of teams Gilbert has been a part of was the New England Patriots’ practice squad when they won the 2015 Super Bowl.

Drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, Gilbert has played for six NFL teams.

Gilbert’s most notable career highlight came with the Alliance of American Football’s Orlando Apollos. He led the league in yards and passer rating and guided the Apollos to a league-best 7-1 record and playoff berth. Following the late-season suspension of AAF operations, Gilbert rejoined the NFL.

The Steelers-Cowboys tilt will be Gilbert’s first career start. He has appeared in six games, one for the Carolina Panthers and five for the Cleveland Browns. In 2019, he attempted three passes with the Browns and completed none of them.

If he sleeps tonight, nightmares of T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree are bound to creep in. Good luck with that, Gilbert.

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