Pittsburgh Steelers fans travel incredibly well. We see it repeatedly, including Week 1 of 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Atlanta Falcons. Recently, former Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger spoke about how much it helps to have your fans outnumber the home team's fans when you play away games. During the Falcons game, Steeler Nation made such a big impact that Kirk Cousins and his offense had to go to a silent snap count. That is something most quarterbacks expect when they play away games, not home games.
Having the fans create so much noise is truly like having that extra man on the field. It demoralizes the opponents and allows the Yinzers to help bully the enemy. While Roethlisberger loves having the fans on his side, helping to distract the opponent, current Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts feels the opposite way; he lives for the hostility. He recently talked with Donny Football on The Elandon Roberts Show on 93.7 The Fan about his experiences playing in Pittsburgh.
Roberts, who was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in 2016, also stopped at the Miami Dolphins on his way to the Steel City. The Steelers signed him to a two-year contract before the 2023 season. He said he loved how the Steelers fans were there in force against the Falcons. However, when asked what his favorite away stadium is, Roberts said he loves the hostile environments.
"I really like feeling like everyone's against you," said Roberts. "I enjoyed playing in Kansas City when we played them. I enjoyed playing in Baltimore. I'm not gonna lie, when I played for New England and we had to come to Pittsburgh, bro, I couldn't wait; like Steeler Nation was gonna go crazy. And when they would play the song? Oh. My. God. It would be me and Dont'a Hightower, and I was a rookie when I first heard it, and Dont'a was like, 'Just sit tight.' I was like, man, they start going off. They used to cut the lights off in the stadium. It's pitch dark, and they start playing it, and I'm like, 'Oh man.' I used to like my number one spot, no lie, it's not because I play for the Steelers, it used to be Pittsburgh when I was a young buck and played for the New England."
Donny Football asked Roberts if that same vibe, the hostility, is present in Ohio against the Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals. He said no without hesitating. He said it is just a different feeling in Baltimore than in the other AFC North rival cities.
Roberts had 101 tackles and 2.5 sacks during his first season with the Steelers. He joined an inside linebackers room that has struggled with injuries over the past several years. When Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander went down with season-ending injuries in 2023, Roberts had to step up even more and help. Roberts and the Steelers' defense will hope that the fans are again on their side as they head out to the Mile High City to play the Denver Broncos in Week 2.
Steelers Have Two Bold New Defenders
The Steelers have the highest-paid defense in the NFL, but that doesn't mean they didn't have some weak areas they had to correct. One of those areas was their secondary, which they improved by bringing in Donte Jackson and DeShon Elliott.
When the Steelers beat Atlanta, edge phenom T.J. Watt got a lot of well-deserved credit for his incredible gameplay, but he wasn't the only one to have a big game. Elliott and Jackson both had interceptions off Cousins. This is a hopeful sign for a defense that needs to step up this year and support its offense as it finds its footing.
