There’s a reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers have been so successful against rookie quarterbacks, earning another win last Sunday against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. Pittsburgh’s defense was dominant, stuffing the run and giving Nix little to work with. He finished the game completing well under 60 percent of his passes with no touchdowns and two interceptions and only picked up chunks of yardage late in the game when Denver was desperately clawing back.
For the Steelers, that was all part of their plan. Appearing on Steve Smith’s podcast Wednesday, Underdog Fantasy reporter James Palmer said Steelers corners knew exactly what to expect against Nix and the Broncos.
“I was just in the Steelers’ locker room [after] going against a rookie in Bo Nix in his second NFL start,” Palmer told Smith. “I’m sitting there talking to the Steelers corners. And they’re sitting there laughing. The corners going, ‘We knew the playbook was [small]. We know they weren’t going to take any shots. We know what he likes to do. They’re going to make it easy on him and go ‘here’ and ‘here.’ And that’s all we had to worry about.'”
The Broncos struggled to do much of anything throughout the day but especially in the first half. Midway through the third quarter, Denver had 75 yards of total offense before Nix found WRs Courtland Sutton and Josh Reynolds for big gains. But that movement was quickly halted when CB Cory Trice Jr. read and intercepted Nix in the back of the end zone, keeping points off the board. Denver wouldn’t end the shutout until there were 11 minutes left in the game.
Pittsburgh’s game plan was simple. Stop the run and put pressure on Bo Nix to shoulder the load. Mission accomplished. Denver’s top running back, Javontae Williams, carried the ball 11 times for 17 yards while Nix, for the second week, led the team in rushing. Asking a rookie quarterback to make plays against a great defense without a running game is a recipe for disaster. The Steelers did little to hurt themselves defensively and shut down the Broncos, holding them to only a pair of field goals. Denver’s six points were its fewest in a game since 2020.
After being on the other side of a basic offense where the opposition repeatedly called out the Steelers’ predictable play calling, it’s nice to hear the conversation flip the other way. Pittsburgh will have a taller task this Sunday when facing an established quarterback in Justin Herbert.
