Pittsburgh Steelers LB Patrick Queen has been maligned in recent weeks, with former players questioning his effort and effectiveness. But for at least one Sunday, he was exactly the inside linebacker the Steelers envisioned.
Queen was all over the field in the 16-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France in Paris. He finished with 10 tackles, a sack and a nice pass that should have been an interception in the first half.
On Monday, first-year Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy was full of praise for Queen’s performance. His high level of play in Week 7 could be due to a change behind the scenes.
“I thought PQ (Patrick Queen) had a great week,” McCarthy said of Queen, according to a video posted on the team’s YouTube page. “And frankly, we took some of the pressure off him early on, turned him on and gave him a little more responsibility in exactly what we do in game meetings and what happens.
“So yeah, you’re definitely seeing growth.”
Queen opened the game as team captain with McCarthy relying on Queen’s Louisiana connection. The captaincy seemed to inspire him as the veteran linebacker came out firing. He had a big run stop early that got him into the game, and then he played at a high level after that.
The veteran linebacker attacked downhill against the run and played with the physicality that Pittsburgh lacked in recent weeks. Queen is at his best when he plays with a chip on his shoulder and looks to punish his opponents.
He did this throughout the game in Paris, finishing with an overall grade of 84.5 by Pro Football Focus. He capped off this excellent performance with a huge third-down sack late in the game, blitzing home on a blitz. The Steelers apparently emphasized sending Queen under pressure this week, and as McCarthy said, it turned him on.
While fellow LB Payton Wilson’s interception was the play of the game, Queen had a better overall performance that the Steelers desperately needed. Let’s hope he builds on his great performance, because when he’s at the top of his game, the Steelers defense is tough to beat.
Gn sports
