The Pittsburgh Steelers are flying high after getting a huge win on Sunday. Pittsburgh survived a close game against Baltimore and now sits alone atop the AFC North at 8-2. The Steelers won 18-16 in a game that came down to the wire. One defensive veteran gave Steelers kicker Chris Boswell his flowers for delivering the win.
Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward gave his kicker some love after a Sunday filled with kicker gaffes. Boswell kicked six field goals, which accounted for all of Pittsburgh's points in the game.
“It’s great to have a kicker like Boswell man… dude is on,” Heyward posted on social media on Sunday, followed by some fire emojis.
Multiple kickers made mistakes on Sunday, including a couple in the AFC North. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed a crucial field goal against the Steelers that ultimately could have made the difference in the game. On Sunday Night Football, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson missed a pair of critical fourth-quarter field goals that could have given them the lead. Instead, Cincinnati lost and fell to 4-7.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin walked a fine line when giving praise to Boswell. He praised his kicker for a job well done, but made it clear he expects the Steelers to score touchdowns instead of field goals.
“I'm tired of him getting player of the week,” Tomlin said per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. “He probably got player of the week again this week. He's deserving of it, but it reminds us of our warts. It reminds us of the work that we need to do, but I'm thankful that he's on our team.”
Pittsburgh is in control of their own destiny, but they are far from perfect. It is smart of Tomlin to highlight all of the areas where they need to improve before the playoffs begin in January.
Patrick Queen's surprising ‘pissed off' admission after Steelers beat Ravens
Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen was surprised that he wasn't angrier during Sunday's revenge game.
Queen joined the Steelers during free agency after beginning his career with the Ravens. He admitted after the game that he imagined he would feel differently heading into this rivalry matchup.
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“I think at the beginning, I probably thought back then that I'd be a little bit more pissed off,” Queen said during the postgame press conference. “But I just woke up this morning and didn't feel any anger.”
Queen has emerged as a leader on Pittsburgh's defense in 2024. He is second on the team in total tackles with 62. Queen has also recorded four tackles for loss and three passes defensed so far this season.
The defense is usually a strength in Pittsburgh, and that has remained true this season. If their strong play continues, the Steelers could shock the NFL with a deep playoff run that nobody expected back in August.
