The Pittsburgh Steelers are bracing for a winter wonderland when they take on the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2023 NFL playoffs. It could favor a team led by Mike Tomlin that has found an impressive rushing attack in their last three contests. It also could expose a key weakness that has plagued the team in recent years. Punting in 30+ mile per hour winds isn't necessarily ideal and Pressley Harvin III was statistically one of the worst at his position in the NFL. Poor punts and losing the field position battle could lead to the Steelers' season ending.
To make matters worse, a former Steelers' punter, Josh Miller, joined Ron Cook and Joe Starkey on The Cook & Joe Show to talk a little bit about how difficult it could potentially be to punt in the forecasted weather. Before diving into what could go wrong for Harvin in Buffalo, Miller recalled watching the third-year punter for the first time back in 2021.
"No disrespect to the punter there; he drops the ball. I saw this a couple years ago with his first drop in the preseason game. I saw the punt. I saw the strength and I'm watching him thinking, 'Holy smokes does this guy have a cannon.'"
Miller is referring to a specific technique when mentioning dropping the ball. Harvin III drops the football in midair and then has his foot meet it to punt. Unfortunately for fans hoping that Harvin won't have trouble on Sunday, Miller is extremely worried because of how he kicks the ball with the "drop-ball" technique. Miller remembers thinking that Harvin's approach wouldn't work well in bad weather.
"But I'm like, 'You know what, when the weather gets bad, that's not gonna bode well because of the simple fact that he drops the ball. It was just too high of a drop and by the time he hits it, it drops in and dips down. That's gonna be a problem when the calendar hits October.' Let alone this crap."
Inconsistency has been the root of many issues for Harvin III since he was drafted in the seventh round in 2021. Sunday could be the last time he punts for the Steelers, especially if he performs poorly. The bad weather isn't an excuse. Field position will mean everything against a heavily-favored Bills team.
There are ways to work around the inconsistencies of Harvin, however. Miller gave his insight on what Pittsburgh has to do when the punt team trots out on the field on Sunday.
"Strategically, you like to place the ball. If you're on the left hash, you kick it to the sideline and if you have a 50 [mile per hour] crosswind, you can't drive a car 40 yards out of bounds, let alone hit a ball."
Fans would like the Steelers not to punt at all against Buffalo, but that's an unrealistic expectation, especially given the weather forecast. Special teams coordinator Danny Smith better have gotten together with Harvin and developed a strong game plan. If Pittsburgh can keep it close early on, Harvin may be one of the biggest x-factors altogether.
Steelers Can't Have Self-Inflicted Mistakes In Buffalo
Pittsburgh heads to Orchard Park as big underdogs. Things like turning the ball over, not controlling the time of possession, and yes, poor punts could result in a bad ending for Steeler Nation. Harvin's drop-ball approach is something to look out for. Howling winds and snow falling could lead to an already-inconsistent performer costing the Steelers a playoff win.
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