Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick's Lack Of Turnovers In 2024 Is Nothing To Worry About: "He's A Culture Setter"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the highest-paid defense in the NFL, which makes them an even bigger target for criticism. That is especially true of the players who form the pillars on that side of the ball: T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Whenever one of those stalwart players make a mistake or underperforms, it makes news.  

Fitzpatrick was a game wrecker during his first several seasons in Pittsburgh. However, the 2023 season brought about a shift in his stats as they stopped playing "Minkah-ball." Injuries decimated the defense, and he was asked to play as more of a strong safety. The change in how Fitzpatrick was used seemed to cause a drop in his production. 

That has led to criticism from Ryan Scarpino, who worked in the Steelers' PR department. According to Joe Starkey on 93.7 The Fan, Scarpino said it's been far too long since Fitzpatrick had an interception or a fumble recovery. He added that when Fitzpatrick is targeted, the quarterback has a 149.1 rating and goes nine out of 11. Starkey said that he believes the Steelers organization protects Fitzpatrick by saying that opposing offenses don't throw to him. 

Starkey's guest was Ray Fittipaldo, a longtime Steelers reporter from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He said he'd like to know where those stats came from because they contradict what he sees on the field. Fittipaldo said he didn't want to sound like a Fitzpatrick apologist, but pushed back on the criticism.   

"It does seem like opposing offensive coordinators like to stay away from him. 11 targets in four games, you're talking about two or three targets a game. I'm not gonna get bent out of shape about teams having that kind of success in a small sample size. The lack of turnovers, I'm sure it's frustrating for him, I'm sure it's frustrating for the Steelers; they're paying him $17-$18 million a year to be that kind of impactful player, and they're not getting those results. I do think it's coming. They're playing defense a certain way, they don't take a lot of chances, they let things come to them."

Fitzpatrick also battled injuries during 2023, which limited his participation to 11 games. First, a hamstring injury kept him out of four games, then in the middle of December, he injured his knee, which cost him the season's final games. He returned to play the Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills, and it seemed obvious he was not fully healed. 

"I'm not worried about Minkah. He's a culture setter in that building. He's one of their guys. After Cam Heyward moves on, it's gonna be T.J. and Minkah; they are not going to get rid of him. I think his time is coming, and those turnovers will come."

Proven to be fiercely competitive, Fitzpatrick can't be pleased with how the past couple of seasons have gone. Fortunately, the Steelers added cornerback Donte Jackson, safety DeShon Elliott, and inside linebacker Patrick Queen. As these new players adjust to each other and this defense, it seems like they will get better as the season progresses, and Fitzpatrick will prove his doubters wrong.    

Steelers Get Pointless Apology

The Steelers have been the victims of some atrocious officiating through their first four games of the season. However, one of the most egregious calls came during the Indianapolis Colts game. Fitzpatrick tried to make a play in a key moment and made contact with Adonai Mitchell. He drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty which was questionable at best.

The incorrect call immediately drew criticism. It also gave the Colts a chance to extend that drive and score. Realizing the error, New York called Head Coach Mike Tomlin and apologized. 

While everyone appreciated the acknowledgment, it did little good for a Steelers team that might have won that game had that erroneous call not been made. While the Steelers, and any other losing team, can only hold themselves responsible, it is frustrating to have an incorrect penalty so heavily influence a game's outcome. 

Do you think Fitzpatrick will improve as the season progresses? Click to comment below. 

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