My Black-and-Gold brothers and sisters…we made it. After all the drudgeries of the offseason, OTAs, minicamps, training camp, we are finally here. Week One of the NFL season. Time to watch our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers play meaningful games again. Of course, our attention will be centered on our TVs at 1 PM watching Kenny Pickett and the boys take on the San Francisco 49ers but we have to be diligent soldiers of the Black-and-Gold army and keep an eye out on some of those other enemies lurking around the league. Here’s a guide of what to watch for elsewhere Sunday.
Those pesky AFC North Division Foes
Bengals at Browns
Ah yes, a huge division game to keep an eye on right out of the gate. There will be lots to glean from this one but here is what I’ll be looking at specifically.
For the Brownies, it’s all about Deshaun Watson. Will the massage-loving quarterback rub the Bengals the wrong way and look like his former superstar self from his days as a Houston Texan? Or will he look like he did this past season with Cleveland, which was very ordinary. If he struggles again out of the gate, Steelers fans can rub it in to those “Dawg Pound” mutts down in Cleveland. A struggling Watson on a guaranteed $230 million contract will be good news for the Steelers for a few years to come.
For the Bengals, it’s all about Joe Burrow. “Joe Brrrrr” injured his calf in training camp and has seen limited action since. Indications are that Burrow will play but Steelers fans will want to keep an eye on the star quarterback and see if there are any lingering effects from the injury. These Bengals aren’t the “Bungles” anymore and Burrow is the biggest reason why. Let’s see how he looks as he recovers from his injury.
The Bengals started slow last year in Game One, and I see this matchup having a similar feel but different result.
Prediction: Bengals win ugly in a tight one, 23-20.
Texans at Ravens
Steelers fans always have to keep an eye on those Dirty Birds from Baltimore. In recent years, the Ravens’ wide receiver room was about as scary as a 3-year-old girl dressed like Barbie for Halloween. Well, the Ravens went out and added a few new weapons to their offensive arsenal. QB Lamar Jackson had to be happier than Ray Lewis hearing the words “the charges were dropped” in regard to the new pieces added to the Ravens roster. Baltimore added free agent Odell Beckham Jr. and picked dynamic WR Zay Flowers in the first round of the draft.
They also have Rashod Bateman returning from injury this year and Devin Duvernay, not to mention standout TE Mark Andrews. This is by far the most complete and talented set of receivers that Jackson has worked with. What we need to keep an eye on is whether the Ravens will morph from a ground-and-pound offense that relies heavily on the run and Jackson beating you with his legs to a more pass-happy attack with Jackson beating teams with his arm. It will be very interesting to see what this offense looks like this season.
As for the Texans, well, we’re going to keep an eye on them as well. The Steelers take on the Texans Oct. 1 in Houston. All eyes will be on Coleridge Bernard Stroud IV. Or, as he’s better known, C.J. Stroud. The rookie first-round draft pick is tabbed as Houston’s No. 1 quarterback and Steelers fans need to take a look at how this youngster fares in his first week of true NFL action. I’m a Penn State alumni so Stroud, who played at Ohio State, is already on my large and growing list of people who have caused anguish in my life. Now I would bet a large sum of money that he will not be a great NFL quarterback. However, my gambling history would suggest that I would unintentionally turn him into the next Patrick Mahomes. The Steelers don’t need another one of those in the league.
Prediction: I see the Ravens giving the Texans a beating reminiscent of the Battle at the Alamo. Ravens roll, 34-13.
Drop a line in the comments about some other things around the league you’ll be looking for on Week One Sunday that Steelers fans should be paying attention to. Just don’t heckle me if my predictions are a tad off! Go Steelers!
