{How the other side sees things - jtf}
October 18, 2017
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith didn’t shy away from his criticism of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Mitchell, who face-masked Smith and rolled into the back of his legs on the same play. (David Eulitt/The Kansas City Star)
Mike Mitchell said to look at the play, so I did. The play wasn’t quite as Mitchell described. Mitchell, the Pittsburgh Steelers safety, said he was “pushed’’ into Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith last Sunday. If by pushing, he meant a teammate laid a feather-hand on his shoulder and he lunged forward, then OK, Mitchell was pushed.
“I felt myself tripping. I felt myself losing balance,” Mitchell said. “If you watch the tape, I'm even trying to turn my body while I’m falling. Alex is backpedaling into me.’’
This is all true, but it doesn’t exactly exonerate Mitchell. Smith does appear to throw off his back foot. Mitchell is losing his balance. After the fact, when Smith starts to berate Mitchell, the Steelers safety doesn’t respond in kind. He throws up his arms as if to say, “I didn’t mean it.’’
But Mitchell is late to the show. The ball is long gone. That’s the problem.
The rule says, “No defensive player who has an unrestricted path to the quarterback may hit him flagrantly in the area of the knee(s) or below when approaching in any direction.”
Mitchell’s path was unrestricted. Mitchell didn’t hit Smith in the knee “area’’. He hit him flush on the back of the knee.
All of which is a roundabout way of saying, this is who the Steelers are. This is what they do. If you’re a Steeler, it’s a point of pride. It’s why Marvin Lewis has reminded a couple generations of Bengals players that playing Pittsburgh is a “two-chinstrap’’ endeavor.
It’s why Willie Anderson famously referred to Bengals-Steelers as a “manhood game.’’
Pittsburgh wants to take it to you physically, so you fall apart mentally. That can happen a few ways: Either you go into the game intimidated, or you become that way as the game progresses. (See: Lost Decade Bengals.) Or you lose your cool and with it, the game. (See: 2005 and 2015 playoff Bengals.)
Teams will beat the Steelers. They will not beat them up. There is no point in trying. No point in playing their game. I was talking to former Bengals wideout Tim McGee about something else Tuesday, when he offered this:
“The Bengals have a habit of getting out of character. Stay in the game. Don’t get penalized or suspended. The Bengals are built more from a glamor standpoint. If they have to play smash-mouth football, that’s not their game. Stay within character.’’
Marvin Lewis said the same thing, differently. “We just gotta stay within,’’ he said. “I think staying within it throughout the football game is important. Stay the course. They’re 60-minute games. We gotta stay in the ebb and flow. The outcome is what matters.’’
The Bengals locker room was mostly empty Wednesday during the 45 minutes the heathen media were allowed in. Dre Kirkpatrick, Tyler Kroft, Vinny Rey, a few offensive linemen, George Iloka, AJ McCarron. No one wanted to say the wrong thing. Presumably, all were coached to say nothing, as politely as possible
Kirkpatrick offered, “We’re gonna keep it classy (and) professional. Just because it’s Pittsburgh don’t mean you’ve got to go out there and break anything. Don’t do nothin’ different.’’
Easier said. The rivalry has a way of getting beneath the Bengals two chinstraps and into their heads. Sometimes the hardest thing for a football team to understand is, the manliest move it can put on the Steelers is to win the game.
The Bengals need to play their way. Other than Vontaze Burfict – for whom Pittsburgh would build a statue if he were a career Steeler – the Bengals don’t play the intimidation game. Never have. Still, they’ve managed to win at Pittsburgh six of 14 tries since Lewis became coach. Six-and-eight ain’t bad versus ‘Burgh at ‘Burgh.
To do that, the Bengals have played pretty good defense, without losing their minds. Pittsburgh wants opponents to lose their minds. That’s why the Steelers sent Joey Porter onto the field to rattle Pacman Jones in the ’15 debacle. It worked.
In their past two games, the Bengals have played smart, efficient football. Bill Lazor has the quick-hitting pass game up and humming, to fit Dalton’s style and skills. The rotating cast of thousands on defense is flexing its youth and depth. Geno Atkins has been unblockable.
This is the NFL, land of no sure things. A week ago, the Pittsburgh papers were full of headlines such as, “Is this the end for Ben?’’ and “Panic time for Steelers?’’ Then the Steelers went to KC and beat the unbeaten Chiefs.
Winning at Heinz Field is as probable as not for the Bengals, who are healthy and confident and as I said in August, as talented as any Bengals team I’ve covered since I got here in ’88. Play your game, Bengals. History shows you won’t win playing theirs.
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