The Pittsburgh Steelers finally notched a tally in the win column on Monday night. It was a night of ups and downs in which several players stood out.
In their first game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay since their Super Bowl XLIII victory, the Steelers were seeking their first win of the season. They were going up against the hottest offense in the NFC who was playing at home in prime time.
When it looked like the game was in hand with a 30-10 halftime lead, it took all 60 minutes to stave off the rallying Buccaneers, winning 30-27.
The Steelers have a lot to work on to become the Super Bowl contender they were thought to be, but there were some bright spots to give us some optimism moving forward.
Vance McDonald
I was really ready to call the Vance McDonald trade a mistake. Jesse James is a solid target who has the talent to be just as good of a tight end as McDonald.
I’m just glad I wasn’t in Vance’s way on this play:
GROWN MAN STIFF ARM.
— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2018
Sheesh, @VMcDonald89! 😳 #HereWeGo
📺: #PITvsTB on ESPN https://t.co/TtY1Fxq5uD
McDonald had the highlight of the night and it wasn’t close. His stiff arm-and-run for a 75-yard touchdown run swung momentum in Pittsburgh’s direction when the offense started slowly.
McDonald ended up with four total catches for 112 yards. He had undoubtedly his most memorable Steelers’ start. His play early in this game potentially revived the Steelers season.
McDonald’s biggest hurdle in his Steelers career has been his health. If he can stay healthy, he showed tonight he can be a big contributor to the offense. He’s a big target for Ben Roethisberger, has decent hands, and displayed what he can do in open space against smaller players.
For an offense that has sputtered at times so far the season, McDonald’s emergence on Monday night was a huge boost of optimism.