It’s that time of year already.  Thanksgiving day is upon us.  It’s a day of family, food, and football.  It is also a time to reflect on what we should be thankful for in our lives.  That goes for us as Steelers fans as well.  With that in mind here’s ten things Steelers fans should be thankful for in 2024:

1. Another great defense:

Death, taxes, and the Steelers having a strong defense.  This franchise is synonymous with playing great on that side of the ball.  Pittsburgh is currently 4th in the league in points allowed.  With stars like TJ Watt, Patrick Queen, Cam Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick we should be all thankful for this defense.

2. Mike Tomlin’s guts:

There aren’t many coaches in the league with the stones to change quarterbacks after starting 4-2.  Fortunately, Mike Tomlin happens to be one of them.  The offense has improved substantially since he named Russell Wilson the starter.  A lot of people, including me, thought he was crazy to make that move.  Thankfully he did, and now this team is making a push for another AFC North title.

3. Kevin Colbert’s guys:

Kevin Colbert has taken quite a few unnecessary shots since his retirement.  Steelers fans have very short memories.  With all the hoopla of “The Khan Artist” and his moves, the core of this football team is still guys brought in by Colbert.  Where would this team be without TJ Watt, Jaylen Warren, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pat Freiermuth, and Cam Heyward to name just a few.  And let us not forget where we would be if Colbert hadn’t drafted George Pickens! Without Colbert’s guys, this team would not be where it is today.

4. Deshaun Watson:

I think I speak for the entire Steelers nation in thanking Deshaun Watson for single-handedly destroying the Cleveland Browns franchise for the foreseeable future.  Well done my friend.

5.  Two headed monster at quarterback:

Whether it was on purpose, or by accident, the Steelers have themselves quite the interesting quarterback situation,  With the absence of a true franchise quarterback, the combination of both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields may just turn out to be something special.  This duo has given us the best quarterback play we have seen in years.  It might just get Mike Tomlin that elusive playoff win he’s been after for almost a decade.

6. Matt Canada not being here:

It was a historically bad hire, and it lasted far too long.  The Steelers finally came to their senses almost a year ago to the day and fired Matt Canada.  We will look back at this and say the hiring of Matt Canada was perhaps the worst coordinator hire of all time.  We are all thankful his reign is over.

7. Kenny Pickett not being here:

It’s not really his fault.  Kenny Pickett was never meant to be a starting quarterback.  He just happened to be what seemed like the best of a historically bad quarterback class.  Combine that with the Steelers need at quarterback, and the fact he attended Pitt, and you end up with a disaster of a draft pick.  In the end, he is now exactly where he was always meant to be.  A backup quarterback holding a clipboard somewhere in the league.

8.  The NFL for finishing a way to give us the Steelers on Hard Knocks:

Because of the rules of who can participate in Hard Knocks being the team must miss the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the chances of us getting the Steelers on Hard Knocks were slim.  The NFL in their infinite greed found a loophole and has decided to do an in-season AFC North version.  We all can not wait to finally get some behind the scenes footage of what goes down in Pittsburgh.

9. George Pickens…..the entire package:

Not only is George Pickens one of the most talented receivers in all of football, he’s also the most unpredictable.  He is just as likely to awe us with an incredible catch, as he is to beat the snot out of an opposing DB.  Either way, he brings much needed excitement to an otherwise dull offense.  For all that he is, we should be very thankful.

10.  Being relevant again in the AFC:

For the first time in what seems like forever, the Pittsburgh Steelers are actually a legit contender in the AFC.  They have the inside track at the AFC North title, and a three seed in the playoffs.  We are very thankful for meaningful Steelers football in December, and maybe even January too.

 

Don’t forget to check out the Steelers Sanctuary Podcast here:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1981237/episodes/16181557-episode-64-legendary-nfl-picks-week-13