Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? Even with the shaky start and the boos from an impatient crowd, it felt different…in a good way. The nice floater to Darnell Washington, hitting CA3 for what should have been a first down except for a drop were all foreshadowing of good things to come.

I’m reminded of the old commercial campaign for Oldsmobile. I’m really dating myself, since this is a vehicle brand that last produced a car in the year 2004. The campaign was built on the saying Not your father’s Oldsmobile. That came to mind because this was the first game in many years where I felt like I was watching my father’s team. Well, let me clarify…my dad did not watch football. I am a first generation Steelers fan in my family. It felt like I was back in 2004, when the team was a legitimate contender and games were exciting and fun to watch. The days when explosive offensive plays were part of the game plan, and not a happy accident.

That isn’t to say that some of the big plays weren’t needing some luck last night, which was the reason I threw the challenge flag in part one. I stated in that article that while I had confidence that Russell Wilson could get the win if pressed into service, this was a match-up more suited to the strengths of Justin Fields. My internal reasoning was that a prime time game against a good defense with a great secondary isn’t the ideal time to be shaking off the rust and working out in-stadium timing. It felt like the normal down and dirty tight game where they do just enough to win.

I was afraid I was going to be correct after the first few series when CA3 had his drop. The next drive had the horrendous unnecessary roughness penalty on Larry O, which led to the Jets driving down the field with ease for a score. I started thinking about Jeff Hartman’s observation over the last few years, where he correctly described the team as fragile, meaning one or two bad plays could stick with them and ruin an entire game.

The team did a great job last night of proving they have grown from those fragile years, and then they set about proving me wrong on this being a bad game to insert Russell Wilson. Now if I could only be wrong every time I buy a lottery ticket and think there’s $3 wasted. My challenge flags are now on track to be as good as Mike Tomlin and his challenge flag record, and I am perfectly fine with that.

I did not consider that the Jets would suffer more injuries in their secondary during the game, and that played a factor last night. The difference, however, is that in past years, the Steelers would not have been able to take advantage of that situation. This time, they could and did exploit it. I have stated several times that based on last year’s film, Russell Wilson was by far the more accurate passer, but last night, he was not. That was to be expected, hence the basis of my challenge flag. George Pickens bailed him out with some fantastic combat catches, but with another tune-up game against the Giants, plus a bye week, I fully anticipate Wilson and his receivers to be in sync when the second half schedule kicks off.

So without overreacting, what promising things can we take from this game as fans? Let’s count the ways, shall we?

• They threw to Darnell Washington more than once. This guy is a match up nightmare and has the catch radius of Godzilla. The more they get him involved, the more third downs and red zone opportunities will be converted. They also threw multiple deep shots, and didn’t stop calling them despite Wilson not putting them exactly where they needed to be.
•  George Pickens has his flaws when it comes to the mental aspect of the game, but he is absolutely correct that he breaks the math on 50/50 balls. Throw it up and give him a chance to make a play, and within a game or two, Wilson will have his range finder dialed in, and those passes will be on target in the future.
•  Two wide receivers caught touchdown passes in this game. Only one touchdown had been produced by a wide receiver the entire year up to this point. If that’s not a good sign, I don’t know what is.
• Throwing for 250 plus yards in a non-comeback situation means defenses can’t stack the box, which means a back like Najee Harris can now run in the fourth quarter. That translates to a rested defense, clock killing drives, and not having to sweat out last second drama to win the game, which should add years to all of our lives.
• Backup players stepped up, and rookies like Beanie Bishop that have been thrown into action are starting to deliver. Ryan McCollum was another reason I had thrown the challenge flag, and he can come stuff it in my front pocket like Bill Cowher once did with a picture to a ref. I will take it without complaint…not that it would matter if I did.
• Deshon Elliot is a difference maker. When Steeler fans think of outside signings, the names James Farrior, Ryan Clark, and Jerome Bettis spring to mind. It’s not time to etch his name in stone with those guys yet, but I am starting to look around for my hammer and chisel to be prepared to do so at a future date.

It’s just one game, but damn, was it fun. This win had a completely different vibe than the win against the Raiders. It felt like I was watching a team for the first time in years that could win a playoff game. There’s a saying around the team that you are not a true Steeler until you beat the Ravens. When Baltimore and the other teams of the North finally show up, that’s when the truth about this team will be known. For now, however, 5-2 looks great, and this game reminded me of why I watch, and I needed that. I think all of Steeler Nation did, whether they knew it or not. I’ll lose a timeout on a challenge flag every time for that.

If you missed Part 1 of this series, read it HERE