Honestly, I'd rest Minkah Fitzpatrick until the game in Seattle.
EnjoyMoreBeef
Nothing. Kenny Pickett sinks or swims now. And whatever he is or isn't doesn't change the fact that the coordination of the offense by Matt Canada was substandard. The worst I've seen in my 30 years as a Steelers fan, actually.
Nobody's excusing Kenny Pickett now.
No, it's not.
Myles Garrett didn't make Matt Canada not use Jaylen Warren on their final two meaningful possessions.
The Bills and Bengals are already collapsing, and the Texans are already surging.
It's the ebb and flow of QBing in the NFL. Some periods are QB-rich, and others are QB-lean.
A 5-3 record with the hardest schedule in the NFL so far. Fantastic.
Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. End of list.
Regarding Ben Roethlisberger, name me one eligible NFL QB who has started in three Super Bowls but is not in the Hall of Fame.
Also, I think it's fair to say that playing QB in the AFC North is more difficult than playing QB in the AFC West or NFC South. There's no climate-controlled indoor stadium or sunny southern California in the AFC North. Instead, some QBs get their brains bashed in by the Ravens and Bengals defenses, often in poor weather conditions. It's hard for a QB to keep his numbers pretty in a situation like that.
Overall, this is how I see the pre-2016 era of NFL QBs, listed chronologically by entry into the league:
In on the first ballot
- Peyton Manning
- Tom Brady
- Drew Brees
- Aaron Rodgers
In, but not on the first ballot
- Kurt Warner
- Eli Manning
- Ben Roethlisberger
Probably in
- Russell Wilson
Borderline
- Donovan McNabb
- Philip Rivers
- Matt Ryan
Hall of Very Good
- Carson Palmer
- Tony Romo
- Alex Smith
- Matthew Stafford
- Cam Newton
As for the QBs who have entered the NFL since 2016, Patrick Mahomes is the only one with a clear path to the Hall of Fame. The rest of them still have a lot to prove, but also a lot of time to prove it.
The Steelers need him more than the Eagles do. Both ILBs for the Steelers suffered season-ending injuries in consecutive games.
Nice Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reference, by the way.