Happy Friday, and I hope yinz are doing well.
Football is back. Officially. The regular-season kind. By the end of this weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be coming off their opener against the Atlanta Falcons, either smiling about a win or smarting over a loss. It should be a great Week 1 litmus test for the team facing a tough and improved Falcons team.
This game comes with many storylines. Arthur Smith facing the team that fired him nine months ago. Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris, friends who used to coach together, battling each other. Veteran quarterbacks in new places with much to prove in Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins, perhaps as much to their own team as to anyone else.
Whatever happens this weekend, we’ll have you covered.
Pittsburgh kept us busy throughout the week, inking DT Cam Heyward to a three-year, $45 million deal that will allow him the chance to retire a Steeler. On Friday, TE Pat Freiermuth joined him with a long-term deal of his own.
And the NFL’s ever-expanding nature has two games on tap before Sunday’s slate. Last night’s contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, a thrilling Chiefs’ win, and tonight’s game in Brazil between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.
Our Friday Five contest is officially back with the scoring counting starting this week. Like the NFL, we’re in regular-season form.
Top Read Posts Of The Week
Big Ben Thanks The Broncos
Van Jefferson Won’t Get Complacent Again
Steelers Release Week 1 Depth Chart
Falcons Prepared For Justin Fields
Cam Heyward Extended
Peace and love, peace and love!
1 – As always, we ask: who will win? The Pittsburgh Steelers or Atlanta Falcons?
2 – This one factors in a lot but – over/under 29.5 rushing yards for QB Justin Fields?
3 – Will the defense intercept at least one pass from Falcons QB Kirk Cousins?
4 – Who has more receptions? TE Pat Freiermuth OR WR Van Jefferson + RB Najee Harris?
5 – How many sacks does T.J. Watt have in this game?
Tiebreaker – Who will have more rushing yards, Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren?
Recap of 2024 Missing Fourth Preseason Game Weekend Friday Night Five Questions
The regular season has arrived!
Question 1: Steelers Depot respondents gave Russell Wilson their confidence. Fifteen of 17 respondents said they would start Wilson over Justin Fields in Week 1 if they were Mike Tomlin. His teammates also voted him as one of the four team captains.
Question 2: Respondents gave Mason McCormick the edge to start at left guard over Spencer Anderson in a narrow 9-7 vote. With Isaac Seumalo reportedly out for a month and some injuries to the tackles, several folks felt the versatile Anderson is more valuable coming off the bench to plug any gaps.
Question 3: Depot respondents named eight different players they believe will be the Steelers’ two starting gunners in Week 1. Three folks thought the Steelers would re-sign Miles Boykin for the role. Another three picked newly signed Ben Skowronek. But Darius Rush with 11 votes and an “outsider” with seven votes ended up being our choices. Let’s see who ends up there on Sunday.
Question 4: The Brandon Aiyuk saga finally ended. Fourteen of 17 voters said they were happy with the news. But several, including Douglas Prostorog, had mixed feelings: “Disappointed but also happy that it’s over.”
Question 5: Depot respondents really like the middle of the Steelers’ defense. Eight singled out the outside linebackers. Another five favored the entire Pittsburgh linebacker corps as the Steelers’ strongest position group. A couple folks singled out the kickers. Kudos Chris Boswell and Cameron Johnston.
Here are the consensus answers of Steelers Depot respondents compared to the correct answers:
| Questions | Wilson or Fields? | Starting LG | The gunners | Happy or sad Aiyuk still a 49er? | Strongest position group |
| SD Consensus | Russell Wilson | Mason McCormick | Darius Rush & Outsider | Happy | LB – Edge |
| Correct Answers | Your Call | TBD | TBD | Your Call | Your Call |
We appreciate everyone responding to the Friday Night Five Questions! The 2024 Steelers Depot Friday Night Five Questions contest is here! Consider your answers carefully, you could be a winner!
***IMPORTANT***
For those interested. Once the regular season starts, Steelers Depot will kick off the Friday Night Five Questions contest administered by David Orochena (Beaver Falls Hosiery). For the fifth year, we will have weekly winners!
Here is how it will work:
Each week we’ll ask five questions with an extra tiebreaker. The person with the best score is the winner. In the case of a tie, the person with the closest response to the tiebreaker will win. If a tie remains, the $25 weekly pot will be evenly split. The weekly winner can opt to receive a Steelers Depot Polo shirt in lieu of cash.
We will also track cumulative points for correct answers all the way through the questions posed the Friday before the last regular-season game. Answering all five questions correctly will gain a five-point bonus toward your cumulative score. The tie-breaker questions are not part of the cumulative score. Steelers Depot awards one point each week that a respondent answers the questions – a participation point. The contest will begin with the Sept. 6, 2024, Friday Night Five Questions.
Once Beaver Falls Hosiery “likes” your responses, they are recorded on a spreadsheet. Sometimes folks revise their responses prior to kickoff. If you need to revise an answer, the best way you can ensure that we accurately record your final answers is replying to your original response and NOT editing it.
Generally, the response window will remain open until kickoff for game-related questions. Steelers Depot may establish other cutoffs for questions such as active versus inactive players that occur prior to kickoff.
Steelers Depot reserves sole discretion on scoring questions and the point totals for each question. Only one profile name can accumulate points (no sharing between handles). Let’s keep it fun. We’ll offer a cash prize and a Steelers Depot Polo shirt for the top three finishers, but you must have a PayPal account to collect. First Prize: $100; Second Prize: $75; Third Prize: $25.
Some Steelers Depot respondents are independently wealthy or just genuinely nice people. They may choose not to collect their winnings. In that case, or for any unclaimed winnings, the money will go to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. If you want to direct your winnings to a different charity, please collect them and donate directly. Alternatively, you can choose to kick your winnings back into the kitty to spice it up.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments or you can always send me a twitter DM @subBurgher or Instagram username quarternelson.
