Lately, the Pittsburgh Steelers have suffered a number of brutal collapses. Final 12 months introduced one other instance, with the Steelers dropping the AFC North crown over the ultimate few weeks of the season. Simply as heartbreaking was 2018 when the Steelers shedding 4 of their remaining video games. That began with a Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos. Pittsburgh had quite a few gaffes all through that recreation. Former Steelers tight finish Xavier Grimble hasn’t forgotten his huge fumble out of the top zone that day.
“A participant like me, a 3rd, second-string tight finish, that will’ve most likely been the distinction in me scoring three touchdowns that 12 months versus one or two,” Grimble stated not too long ago on his podcast, The Athlete’s GroupChat. “It sucks for me as a result of it’s soccer. As I obtained older, you’re gonna watch everyone on the workforce have a play like that. However all of it’s not gonna get magnified. You’ve simply gotta transfer on.
“That play nonetheless retains me up at night time. Once I get actual delusional, I be like, ‘If I’d’ve jumped over him, I’d nonetheless be enjoying.’ Rule of thumb, younger guys: don’t calm down. That’s what occurred. I relaxed for a cut up second, and it occurred so quick. I be desirous about like, ‘What sort of thoughts body was you even in?’”
Grimble’s fumble got here on the primary play of the second quarter. After catching the ball and working greater than 20 yards to the top zone, Grimble let his guard down on the final second. Security Will Parks delivered an enormous hit on him on the aim line, knocking the ball unfastened. It rolled out of bounds in the long run zone, leading to a turnover. That gave the Broncos the ball and robbed the Steelers of any factors on that drive.
Whereas Denver was pressured to punt on the next drive, these misplaced factors loomed giant in the long run. The Steelers misplaced the sport 24-17, so had Grimble scored, thinks would possibly’ve ended in a different way.
Nevertheless, it’s not honest to place the entire blame for that loss on him. Grimble wasn’t the one one who made a mistake that day. Earlier than that fumble, Chris Boswell had a 48-yard discipline aim try blocked. James Conner additionally fumbled the ball to begin the fourth quarter when the sport was tied. Ben Roethlisberger threw two interceptions, with one coming in the long run zone with a minute left within the recreation.
Due to this fact, the Steelers misplaced that recreation as a workforce. Grimble’s mistake was expensive, however Pittsburgh had different possibilities to win that recreation. The Steelers’ dangerous luck continued after that, dropping their subsequent two video games after that Broncos loss.
Sadly, like Grimble says, his background afforded him fewer alternatives to make errors. An undrafted free agent in 2014, Grimble signed with the Steelers in 2016, getting his first actual likelihood to play within the NFL. He didn’t have loads of room for error.
Grimble caught with the workforce after 2018, however an harm early in 2019 ended his time in Pittsburgh. Scoring that landing in opposition to the Broncos would’ve been a pleasant spotlight for him, however it’s uncertain that it was the rationale why his profession ended. He bounced across the league from 2014-2020. For an undrafted free agent, that’s respectable. Grimble shouldn’t let one play take away from his different accomplishments.
