NFL Week 15 reactions and overreactions

The Pittsburgh Steelers took care of business in a way I did not expect.

Checking in with my weekly look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL. Let’s get to it.

1. There was something aesthetically pleasing about the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-15 win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. The yellow end zones. The sub-zero temperatures. The smash-mouth football. The good defense. DK Metcalf throwing a man to the ground on his way into the end zone. It was just beautiful, beautiful football. It was also not something that I expected.

The Steelers probably *should* have won that game. But they probably should win a lot of games that they do not win, and there were also a lot of things stacking against them going into it.

No T.J. Watt, something that has made winning almost impossible during his career.

Miami was coming in on a roll and running the football better than any team in football.

The Steelers have been wildly inconsistent against the run, and were playing without Watt and Derrick Harmon on their defensive front.

Other than the arctic temperatures and the impact that consistently has on Miami and Tua Tagovailoa, it seemed to be setting up for a way tougher game than previously expected.

Then the Steelers ended up playing one of their most complete games of the season in all three phases. Like last week’s game against Baltimore, I am not sure the result really changes much or changes my expectation. They took care of business and did what they needed to do. I am not sure the result changes their ceiling or expectations for the season.

What might change that, however, is the process behind the result. That is what stood out to me the most.

2. When I say the process I mean this: Did Mike Tomlin have some sort of awakening? Or was this just a one-off game in the middle of the season?

He — and the Steelers — did a lot of things they have not routinely done.

They went for three fourth downs early in the game, including one on their own side of the field.

They utilized the middle of the field on offense.

They successfully pulled off the double-dip around halftime with a touchdown on the possession to end the first half and another touchdown on the first possession of the second half. That is where games have gotten away from them this season. Not this game.

They just seemed …. crisper.

Was that opponent based? Was it just a random game that will not happen again? Was it desperation with the way things have been going and the way they have struggled in the second half of seasons and an attempt to change things? Are they just more comfortable and confident using Connor Heyward in the tush push? Did they have an awakening?

We will find out over the next couple of weeks. The Detroit Lions game on Sunday is going to be fascinating. On paper the Lions would seem to be the better team. They have a lot of matchup advantages. But they are also 8-6 (same record as the Steelers), have their backs against the wall and playing for their season, have a bad defense that is without one of their best players (Brian Branch) for the remainder of the season and have not looked like they were expected to look all season. The thing that really makes it intriguing for me is Rodgers having a chance to deliver one more knockout punch to an old, long-time NFC North rivalry team. He missed his chance to get that against the Chicago Bears. He is probably going to love this opportunity. He is probably going to have some extra juice and energy for that game. I have been down on him for most of the season, but these past two games have been strong. Very strong. If he does it again here things are going to get really interesting.

3. Overall I have few complaints with the game-plan or the way the game was called. I think the only thing I would quibble with is the continued usage of Jonnu Smith. And yes, I know he scored a touchdown — on a running play, oddly enough.

The game started with a pass to Smith that went nowhere, which was probably the most obvious way to start the game given that Smith was playing against his former team.

I had high expectations for Smith when the Steelers acquired him, but he has simply been a massive bust and should be at the bottom of the tight end usage.

Darnell Washington is not just some novelty act or big body out there. He is not simply a blocking specialist. He is a very viable option in the passing game and has been far more productive than he gets credit for being.

Some numbers on the tight end group as a whole:

• There are 44 tight ends in the NFL this season that have been targeted on at least 30 passes. Washington ranks 10th out of that group in yards per reception (12.0 yards per reception) and 12th in yards per target (8.8 yards per target).

• Pat Freiermuth ranks 14th out of that group in yards per reception (11.4 yards per reception) and ninth in yards per target (8.8 yards per target).

• Both of those numbers are pretty good and make them among the most effective pass-catching tight ends in the league.

• Smith, meanwhile, ranks 44th — that is last …. let me repeat that …. LAST — in both yards per reception (6.3 yards per reception) and yards per target (4.4 yards per target).

• When you add in the fact Washington is the best blocker of the three, and Smith is by far the biggest liability of the three in that area, it is hard to make an argument that Smith should keep playing as much as he is or getting as many passes as he is.

• Washington has seven plays of 15 yards or more, including three plays of 25 yards or more. He has two 30 yard plays. Freiermuth has eight plays of 15 yards or more, three plays of 20 yards or more and one play of over 30 yards (it was a 68-yard touchdown). Smith has just one play of 15 yards or more. It was a long of 21 yards. Again …. why is Smith getting so many snaps and so many targets other than a history with Arthur Smith?

• Washington and Freiermuth are their two best tight ends. They need and deserve the bulk of the snaps and the passes.

4. The key to cold football games in person is just proper layering. You put on enough loose, light layers, and it is fine. I would take Monday’s weather (10 degrees) over 40 degrees and rain every time. I would take it over 98 degrees and humid. It was a walk in the park.

It was also a pretty good crowd given.

Early on it seemed like it might be a small crowd, but things filled in nicely, and there was a good energy. Renegade did not get booed. People were into it. Playing good football helps.

The wildest play of the night, for me, was Metcalf’s touchdown in the third quarter. From our vantage point in the upper deck just above the play, it looked like a pass that was intercepted in real time. We thought it was. Everybody in our section thought it was. There was a brief moment of “oh no that could be a game-changing turnover.” The next thing you know Metcalf is throwing Minkah Fitzpatrick to the ground, stiff-arming another dude, and walking into the end zone for a touchdown. At that point you knew the game was pretty much in control.

Even though Metcalf did not have huge numbers in the game, his two biggest plays were significant because of where they happened — over the middle of the field. Those are the routes he is best at. That is his strength as a wide receiver. They need to do more of that, and if they are successful with it they will open up so many other things for the offense.

Now let’s talk about the Dolphins side of that game, Philip Rivers comeback, the Kansas City Chiefs being eliminated and some other random NFL stuff from the week.