Welcome to Brian Batko’s Steelers mailbag. You’re more than welcome to email him at bbatko@post-gazette.com, tweet him @BrianBatko or slide into his DMs to inquire about the Steelers, NFL or anything out of bounds.
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Jud W: Steelers schedule wise, which games are you looking forward to?
Brian: The early kickoffs and the Week 7 tilt against [off week]. But in all seriousness, it’s always fun to eye up the slate from a pure intrigue perspective once the schedule is released, so let’s do that here and now, with a ranking of 2021 Steelers games from least to most anticipated, preseason included! (feel free to disagree):
21. At Philadelphia Eagles, Preseason Week 2: Not the first exhibition, not the last, not the typical “dress rehearsal” No. 3, and not even at home. Feel free to make other plans on this Thursday night.
20. At Carolina Panthers, Preseason Week 4: As much as the official stance of the Steelers mailbag is that this is the greatest preseason rivalry in the NFL, and despite the intrigue of a roster spot or three being up for grabs, by the last preseason contest, everyone is just ready for games that matter.
19. Detroit Lions, Preseason Week 3: Yeah, the regulars might play a series or three, and it will be the first action at Heinz Field (full capacity?) but it’s also the Lions, who aren’t particularly interesting (more on that soon).
18. Dallas Cowboys, Preseason Week 1, in Canton: Hey, it will be the first time the Steelers play someone with different jerseys since that atrocious performance against the Browns in the playoffs, and the pomp and circumstance of Hall of Fame weekend is always kind of cool.
17. Denver Broncos, Week 5: Now we’re into the regular season. Last year the Steelers played host to John Elway’s gang for the home opener in Week 2, this year it’s three weeks later. But unless they trade for Aaron Rodgers, they remain one of the least interesting teams in all the land.
16. Detroit Lions, Week 10: This whole organization is rebuilding and probably a year away (at least) from being a contender under new coach Dan Campbell. They could be feisty, but with Jared Goff at quarterback, they don’t exactly get the juices flowing for football fans — and might only serve to make Steelers fans nervous for a letdown game against an NFC doormat.
15. At Minnesota Vikings, Week 14: The lone Thursday night matchup on the Steelers’ schedule, and that’s about the only reason it ranks this high.
14. At Cincinnati Bengals, Week 12: Meh.
13. Chicago Bears, Week 9: You don’t see the Bears in Pittsburgh too often, and they’re still a big brand in football, but unless Justin Fields is lighting it up there aren’t a ton of story lines, making this a bit of an odd choice for “Monday Night Football.”
12. At Los Angeles Chargers, Week 11: A Sunday nighter that will be the Steelers’ first trip to second-year SoFi Stadium, and first clash with Philip Rivers’ successor Justin Herbert, so now we’re really getting into the good stuff.
11. Tennessee Titans, Week 15: This was a fantastic finish last year in Nashville, and both reigning division champions have realistic hopes of jockeying for playoff position by mid-December.
10. Seattle Seahawks, Week 6: Russell Wilson comes to town for what could be a pivotal prime-time visit, the only “Sunday Night Football” game at Heinz Field this year.
9. Cincinnati Bengals, Week 3: First time in the AFC North kitchen for both, and we know it gets hot in there — plus it’s a chance to get back on track against the Bengals after that late-season meltdown.
8. At Green Bay Packers, Week 4: This one drops way down the rankings if Rodgers is somewhere else, but either way, there’s something special about the once-every-8-years Lambeau Field pilgrimage.
7. At Kansas City Chiefs, Week 16: Likewise, Arrowhead Stadium is a destination of sorts, and it helps that Patrick Mahomes has made its residents one of the premier franchises in the league.
6. Las Vegas Raiders, Week 2: The home opener has an inherent buzz to it, and it will be all the more anticipated this September after a year of small (and sometimes nonexistent) crowds on the North Shore.
5. Cleveland Browns, Week 17: By this point, all the choices are juicy, and you could make an argument for each of them to be No. 1. Monday night, at home, nearly a year removed from the scene of the crime (losing to the perennial little brother in a win-or-go-home game).
4. At Cleveland Browns, Week 8: Same subplots, but this rematch comes first, and it could be Ben Roethlisberger’s swan song in the city he tormented for nearly two decades.
3. Baltimore Ravens, Week 13: It’s always electric when these guys play at Heinz Field, and this one isn’t until Dec. 5, making it a long wait for Steelers-Ravens rekindled (and perhaps their final opportunity to beat Roethlisberger in front of his home fans).
2. At Baltimore Ravens, Week 18: The first Week 18 in franchise history, another possible last dance for Roethlisberger against a bitter rival. And you never know — the AFC North title could come down to this.
1. At Buffalo Bills, Week 1: Everyone is 0-0, and the build-up is never greater for any game than it is for the season opener, right? This one is even bigger given the opponent, the road environment and the likelihood of a Bills Mafia-filled stadium hoping to shut down Najee Harris, JuJu Smith-Schuster and friends.
(By the way, the Steelers themselves mostly agree with the choices above. Their dynamic pricing plan for home games slot in Raiders and Ravens as the most expensive “premier” tickets, followed by Bengals-Broncos-Seahawks in the next tier, then Bears-Lions-Titans-Browns, all of which are in November or December when cold weather becomes a fan deterrent.)
Larry G from Punxy: I know it's only "football in shorts," but Harris is certainly looking the part for what we need in terms of lead running back. Would you agree he is quite an upgrade?
Brian: Compared to the James Conner we saw in 2020, and barring a great leap forward for Benny Snell or Anthony McFarland, absolutely. Conner was the all-around back for this offense the past few seasons, with Snell slotting in as the grinder and McFarland projecting as the change-of-pace speedster (plus Jaylen Samuels as the pass-catching specialist, if you want to throw him in).
Harris may not have McFarland’s speed, but he’s the total package of all those other skills — and coming in as a rookie, he should have much more burst than Conner at this point in their careers. That’s not to say Harris hasn’t lost some tread on his tires — 460 carries and 70 catches for 510 touches over the last two years is a lot of work. I asked Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert about that heavy usage after the Harris pick, and he acknowledged that it can be a concern when drafting running backs.
“I think that's to his credit,” Colbert said. “Sometimes you look at that and say, ‘Well, the wear and tear, he's already got this many carries,’ but I always look at it the other way. He was a durable player in an NFL-type running offense in what is one of the toughest leagues in college football. I view it as a positive, because he was very durable for Alabama.”
Indeed, Harris is such a complete back and so versatile that you overlook how much he was used in college. That much was reinforced through Mike Tomlin’s remarks as well as the eye test at rookie camp.
Chuck from Michigan: Any chance the Steelers take a flyer on signing Malik Hooker, ex-Ohio State safety let go by the Colts?
Brian: Personally, I think that’d be a pretty cool story if the Steelers are interested in Hooker. Not only is he a local guy from New Castle, but he also would be solid Minkah Fitzpatrick insurance — more so than any other deep safeties on the roster — if he’s healthy.
That’s the big question with Hooker: Injuries. There’s a reason why he was a Buckeyes recruit and a first-round pick, because his natural athletic gifts make him a prototype safety with great instincts. But he has yet to play a full season over his first four years in the NFL and missed all but two games in 2020 with a torn Achilles’, which can be difficult to come back from.
Still, Hooker just turned 25 in April and has been productive when he’s on the field. So much so that it was a surprise when the Colts declined his fifth-year option last spring. The last bit of firm news on Hooker was a visit to the Dolphins, but it’s unclear what kind of contract he’ll command. Remember, the Steelers had another former first-round safety with durability issues in for a visit in Karl Joseph back in early April, but ultimately didn’t sign him. Perhaps that’s a sign that they’re at least in the market for a veteran at that spot.
Think you have better questions than these ones? Email bbatko@post-gazette.com or write him on Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: May 20, 2021, 2:19 p.m.