While the Steelers are no strangers to internal complications, they could’ve easily been avoided.
In a nearly replicate situation to the Baltimore Ravens playing star cornerback Marlon Humphrey in Week 8, the Steelers felt the need to play tight end Vance McDonald in Week 9.
The most significant difference is the Ravens game was home and Humphrey didn’t have to travel. McDonald did. The result is, so far, four additional players have been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including Ben Roethlisberger.
They all tested negative and, if they continue to test negative throughout the week, should be available for practice Saturday and play on Sunday.
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When ESPN’s Brooke Pryor pressed Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on how the travel determination was made, Tomlin had this to say:
“Those aren’t decisions that are made by us. It’s really cut and dry. It’s all in the COVID procedural policy established in New York by the NFL. As long as [the player] is negative and not showing signs of COVID, he’s able to travel, and [Vance McDonald] was and we did. We don’t overanalyze it that way. We utilize all the mechanisms at our disposal to minimize the potential of interaction. We’re all masked up. We’re all exercising good personal hygiene and social distancing. We’re doing all the things that we are asked. That’s our mindset regarding it.”
Unfortunately, it was a bad judgment call. Instead of heeding caution after what went down in Baltimore last week, the Steelers chose to allow McDonald to travel after being listed on the injury report with an illness the day before.
Contributions to the game
Was Pittsburgh’s decision to have McDonald board the plane and play worth the distractions?
No.
On the Steelers’ first play of the second half’s opening drive, McDonald caught a pass for two yards. That’s it. That was the only time he was targeted and his only contribution to the receiving game. Pittsburgh would go three-and-out and punt.
McDonald’s single pass pro snap was graded at 70.2 by Pro Football Focus, as he didn’t allow any pressure on Big Ben.
NFL should revise its COVID-19 policy
The Steelers did go by the “book.” But that book needs revising. For instance, as Pryor tweeted on Tuesday, NFL’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, says they don’t only rely on testing to rule out whether someone has contracted the virus.
If that is the case, it needs to be made clear to the teams. If a player is ill, especially close to game day (whether traveling or not), as a precaution, he should sit. I understand how it could impact the game, depending on the role of said player. Being prudent could mean the difference between keeping the season to 16 weeks and extending it, or worse, canceling it.
When you don’t bubble up (I don’t blame them for not wanting to), situations like the Ravens and the Steelers, or even the Raiders or Titans, are going to happen again. It’s, unfortunately, inevitable.
The league needs to revise its procedures as to how to appropriately proceed with sick players who test negative. It could very well prevent an outbreak.
Since McDonald was questionable for the game, it’s likely he was still showing signs of the undisclosed illness. If it was the cold or flu, those symptoms can mimic the coronavirus. Although Vance tested negative before the Steelers headed for Dallas, the organization should’ve recalled what happened with Humphrey and thought better than to let him travel.
Pittsburgh is lucky that, so far, McDonald is the only player who tested positive.
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