A look back at the tremendous battle between David DeCastro and Geno Atkins

Anyone who has played, or watched, football knows the game is broken down into a series of battles. The winner of the individual battles will result in the overall outcome of the play.

Let’s use a running play as an example.

If the offensive linemen all win their individual battles, it will open a hole for the running back to gain positive yards for the team.

Opposite would be if even one defensive lineman wins his matchup it can completely wreck the play and lead to a negative play for the opposition.

This is just one of the many reasons football is considered the ultimate team sport. You win as a team, and you lose as a team. But it’s those individual matchups which can make tremendous theater.

Some of these one-on-one battles don’t get nearly the attention they should, and the battle between Pittsburgh Steelers guard David DeCastro and Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins would certainly fall into that category.

DeCastro vs. Atkins has been going on for years now, and it always a best vs. best matchup in the trenches. Not many people can highlight the battle like former linemen, and this is where the NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger comes in. His “Baldy Breakdowns” are must-see TV, even on Twitter, and his breakdown of DeCastro vs. Atkins doesn’t disappoint.

Check it out here:

If you don’t watch this clip and come away with an appreciation for the play of the offensive and defensive lines, I’m not sure we watched the same video. All-Pro vs. All-Pro should always be appreciated, even if it between two hogs doing the dirty work.

Hope you enjoyed the video as much as I did, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes as the Steelers prepare to don pads for the first time during their 2020 Training Camp.