2024 Home Opener Weekend: Steelers Friday Night Five Questions

Happy Friday, and I hope yinz are doing well.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-0 with back-to-back road wins to open the season. It wasn’t pretty but like Week 1, the Steelers’ defense was stellar and the offense did just enough to beat the Denver Broncos, 13-6, last Sunday. Penalties negated big-play opportunities to keep the score down and the game close. While the style points weren’t there, a 2-0 start and early lead in the AFC North race is exactly what Pittsburgh was hoping for entering the year.

The Steelers will get their toughest test this weekend when they play their home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Also undefeated, the Chargers are built in a similar way as a physical, run-first team that wants to win in the trenches. It’ll prove to be a quality litmus test for where the Steelers are.

The Steelers made a flurry of roster moves this week, including placing LB Tyler Matakevich (hamstring) and WR Ben Skowronek (shoulder) on IR while signing CB James Pierre to their practice squad. QB Justin Fields is expected to make his third start Sunday while Russell Wilson gets fully healthy from his calf injury.

As always, we’re here to bring whatever happens to you with postgame coverage and analysis throughout next week. Until then, we have five questions for you to answer below.

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Peace and love, peace and love!

1 – As always, we ask: will the Steelers beat the Chargers? 

2 – Pittsburgh has scored 13 and 18 points its first two games. Will the Steelers score at least 21 against the Chargers, regardless of outcome? 

3 – The Steelers have returned one kickoff this season. Will they return at least two against L.A.? 

4 – Who will lead the Steelers in combined tackles?  

5 – Corliss Waitman punted eight times last week. Over/under 4.5 punts for him in this game? 

Tiebreaker: How many combined rushing yards will Chargers RBs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards have?

Recap of 2024 Week 2 Broncos Game Weekend Friday Night Five Questions

Keep answering folks. You have to play to win!

Question 1: The Steelers beat the Denver Broncos, 13-6. Their first win in Denver since Nov. 9, 2009. An overwhelming 96.8 percent majority (61 of 63 respondents) picked Pittsburgh to win.

Question 2: George Pickens caught two of just four passes thrown his way. Penalties nullified a six-yard touchdown pass and another 51-yard reception. Those non-plays would have given Pickens 86 receiving yards. But his 29 receiving yards in the record book came in well under 80.5. Steelers Depot respondents got this correct as a collective with 55.6 percent (35 of 63) taking the under.

Question 3: Cam Heyward hit Broncos quarterback Bo Nix three times but did not sack the rookie. He remains tied with James Harrison with 80.5 sacks, second in the franchise to T.J. Watt. A slight 52.4 percent (33 of 63) majority scored a point by predicting Heyward would not break the deadlock with Harrison in this game.

Question 4: Chris Boswell kicked two field goals against Denver, including a 53-yarder in the third quarter to give the Steelers a 13-0 lead. The median response of Steelers Depot respondents was three field goals. However, a solid 41.3 percent (26 of 63) pegged the answer at two.

Question 5: Recently signed Terrell Edmunds was inactive for the game. The cutoff for responses was the kickoff. So, folks had 90 minutes to revise their answers, which several did. As a result, 58.7 percent of respondents (37 of 63) correctly predicted Terrell Edmunds would not play a defensive snap against the Denver Broncos.

REMINDER: Once Beaver Falls Hosiery “likes” your response, the answers are recorded on a spreadsheet. If you want to revise an answer prior to the cutoff (usually kickoff), the best way you can ensure that we accurately record your final answers is replying to your original response and NOT editing it.

Here are the consensus answers of Steelers Depot respondents compared to the correct answers:

Steelers Depot respondents answered four of five questions correctly as a group. Respectable job.

Five people answered all five questions correctly and received 11 points (with one participation and five bonus points). Excellent job by Style Points, Ratsotex, Andy N, Hoptown, and Chris92021. The tiebreaker was the number of Steelers’ passing yards. Justin Fields completed 13 of 20 passes for 117 yards. Style Points (176) edged Hoptown (177) by one yard to be closest. Twenty folks missed going five for five by only one question. Try again next week.

Excellent job Style Points! Please send me a DM (subBurgher on twitter or quarternelson on Instagram or email quarter_nelson@yahoo.com) with your PayPal address to receive your winnings. Alternatively, you can kick your share back towards the next pot or donate it to the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Or opt for a Steelers Depot polo shirt in lieu of the cash prize. Entirely up to you, just let me know.

Here is the 2024 leaderboard after Week 2:

*New to the leaderboard