The title “My Worthless 2 Cents” that I came up with isn’t one I feel I can take full credit for, but is a story in itself, so here it is. I was in the 8th grade at the time, and found myself tagging along with my older sister (a senior in high school), as she was a part of the high school theatre group who would work as ushers for local community theatre productions. Working as an usher at a production of “Harvey”, the dad for one of my baseball friends came up to me at intermission and handed me two pennies and asked me to go back to the dressing area and find the lead actor in the play. I was to give him the pennies and tell him “this is from the guy with the big nostrils, giving you his two cents worth”. I thought this was funny so I agreed to do it, especially since I knew the two were friends. I go to the dressing room and deliver the message and the “gift”. The response I was given was even better. The actor told me to return the pennies and I was to “tell the guy with the big nostrils to take his worthless 2 cents and shove them right up his big nostrils”. So that’s it. This is my 2 cents after sitting on the latest Steelers game for a bit. This is quite the opposite of my Knee Jerk Reaction article, so I get to bring everything full circle. You might tell me to take my worthless two cents and shove them up my nostrils, and that’s okay, because we are friends and I don’t look at it as personal.

I am going to break things down into three categories: One, something I feel stronger about. Two, something I have softened on a bit. Three, something that didn’t really change.

SOMETHING I FEEL STRONGER ABOUT

As much as I hate to say it, there are times where style points matter. Well, maybe not style points the way some in the national media would think of, but I will try to explain my point. I brought this up on The Scho Bro Show podcast and have thought about it some more. It’s not so much style points, but what the Steelers have been missing lately is that they are not “allowed” to be bullies on both sides of the ball. The current Steelers are allowed to be bullies on the defensive side of the ball, but the offense is either not getting to, or being held from bully status. I feel fans are looking for a couple of Bully Games. Games that are won comfortably and are dominant on both sides of the ball for an entire game. This does not need to be like the game against the Panthers in 2018 when the score was Steelers 52, Panthers 21. I think fans would feel great with a game that was something like 28-9. It doesn’t need to have absolutely gaudy offensive stats, but it should look dominant on both sides of the ball. Does this current team have that type of game in them? Only time (and coaching loosening the reigns a bit) will tell.

SOMETHING I’VE SOFTENED ON

Justin Fields. I have spent plenty of time wondering if Fields could be a longer term answer in Pittsburgh. I spent much of the offseason wondering if he could show me enough that I would be comfortable if the team made that decision. I am not ready to just hand him the keys to the car, but I am giving him a little more leeway in where I am willing to let him drive the car with me in it. If he continues the growth I’ve seen in him in just a couple of months, he could be well on his way to solidifying his place in a black & gold uniform. Now if we can just get a few of the big throws he’s made to not be nullified by penalties it could go a long way in growing his confidence.

SOMETHING THAT HASN’T CHANGED

Cam Heyward is the ultimate team player. A few years ago the Steelers needed “Big Play” Cam Heyward, and he produced big play after big play. There are some out there that did not like the Steelers giving Cam an extension prior to this season, but I for one liked the deal. The deal is team friendly if Cam’s play drops off a cliff, and still player friendly if Cam can maintain just an above average level of play. What I saw from Cam this past Sunday was a guy who was willing to do the dirty work of taking on lineman to create opportunity for the guys behind him to make plays. Right now that is what the Steelers need from him to have a successful unit, and he is capable of giving the team exactly that. I’m not sure if Cam could make the huge number of splash plays he was making just a few years ago, but that’s not what he is being asked of him to do currently and I am OK with that. More importantly it appears Cam is OK with that and seems to realize he is not being asked to be the superstar of the defense, just a very strong piece in a very good defense.

There you have it. My worthless 2 cents. Maybe you liked it, maybe you didn’t. Maybe you want to tell me to shove my worthless two cents up my big nostrils. Maybe you have your own worthless 2 cents you would like to share. If so please feel free to share it in the comments below, I might look at it and tell you to shove it up your big nostrils…but that’s okay, because we are still friends.