Pittsburgh Steelers Update: Who Is Landry Jones?

Before the Pittsburgh Steelers fans were treated to a come from behind win, orchestrated by Landry Jones, he was a young man wondering if he would ever see playing time with the Steelers. He was a third string quarterback with a name that reminded most people of Tom Landry. Who is Landry Jones and how did he stay hidden in the Steelers offense?

First and foremost, Landry Jones is not a rookie.

Jones is a third-year player who has been with the Steelers since they grabbed him in the 2013 draft. If he was ever mentioned in an article, it was to remind the Steelers organization he was a fourth round pick and needed to prove his worth. One moment he’s a young man standing on the sidelines contemplating his worth. The next moment, he’s redeeming himself by leading the Steelers to victory.

The Steelers 2015 season is shaping up to be one for the history books. Entering the year, they were faced with one of the toughest records on paper. Two key players were hurt and two were suspended. With the departure of Dick LeBeau, the defense was predicted to be ready for the scrap heap. There was a learning curve to travel. Even the big guns at ESPN thought it may be a 9-7 season.

Yet after six games, the Steelers are 4-2 and entertaining thoughts of overtaking the Cincinnati Bengals to defend their AFC North title. The defense is playing big, and the offense exploded in the second half of the Arizona game in Week 6.

Enter the gunslinger Landry Jones.

With 10:21 to play in the third quarter, he came in cool and collected. He marched the Steelers to a touchdown in four plays to take the lead. Four scoring plays later, a key interception by Mike Mitchell, and Landry Jones is a legend. The Steelers stun the Cardinals and a hero emerges from the dust.

Jones has had his moment in the sun, his fifteen minutes of fame, so to speak. Now he has had a week of preparation and time to focus on the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers’ Mike Tomlin made it clear that things were being prepared as though Landry was the starter. Well, that time is now. The real deal is Sunday at 1 p.m. EST. Reports from Pro Football Talk claim all systems are go for his debut.

Who is this Landry Jones?

He seems to be a humble young man who’s just grateful to be a part of the Steelers. After the game, he was more amazed than cocky. He didn’t have the look of an angry bitter who wanted to berate his team for doubting his skills. Jones looked like a little kid as he talked to the reporters.

“I just can’t believe I got in the game. I’m still kind of reeling from it.”

No matter what happens to the Steelers from this point on, Landry Jones’ confident play against the Cardinals will be the pivotal point in the season. If Vick doesn’t tear his hamstring, he’s still on the field. The Steelers lose a close game and fall further behind the Bengals. If the Steelers don’t recover that fumble to set up Landry’s entrance, it’s a long game under the struggling Vick. Destiny played a huge part.

Todd Haley’s offense needed a quarterback who was willing to pull the trigger and not worry about what wasn’t seen. As an NFL signal caller, you have to trust the system and just let the ball fly. Timing and routes are crucial. Jones entered the game with three years of the Steelers’ offense ringing in his head. Vick was signed in as a late security measure. His placement over Jones was one because of NFL experience, not knowledge of the system.

Who is Landry Jones? He’s the starting quarterback for the Black & Yellow.

[Featured Photo by Jared Wickerham / Getty Images]