Minkah Fitzpatrick helped Steelers beat Packers without even playing a snap
Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has been sidelined for the last two weeks with a hamstring injury. And while his communication and playmaking have been missed on the field, his presence is still being felt off of it. No clip better encapsulates that than the viral clip that shared the exchange between him and Steelers […]
Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has been sidelined for the last two weeks with a hamstring injury.
And while his communication and playmaking have been missed on the field, his presence is still being felt off of it.
No clip better encapsulates that than the viral clip that shared the exchange between him and Steelers DC Teryl Austin:
I Am The Captain Now
The clip above shows Fitzpatrick visibly upset with what Steelers DC Teryl Austin had called just before Coach Tomlin signaled for a timeout. Austin obviously listened to what Minkah had to say when you see the following play:
Minakh has apparently been a thorn in Austins' side of some time now, but in a good way. Eager to get back on the field, he has channeled his competitive nature into team preparations:
Fitzpatrick didn’t like the Steelers’ planned defensive play call, and he did a little more than suggest his idea to Austin. The Pro Bowl safety was so adamant that the Steelers called timeout to talk it over.
“Yeah, I had an idea,” Fitzpatrick said after the game with a sheepish smile. “So me and (defensive backs coach) Grady (Brown) talked (Austin) into changing it.”
Instead of playing man coverage at the line of scrimmage and having a shell of players with their feet just inside the goal line, Austin switched the call to have seven defenders lined up at the goal line like a picket fence. It resulted in a game-winning interception by Damontae Kazee, as the Steelers once again found a way to win a close game.
-Mark Kaboly, The Athletic
So while he gets back to health (which is hopefully sooner rather than later) the All-Pro is proving to be an asset in every facet of the game.
Just imagine what he will do when he's back to 100 percent.
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