Rocky Mountain high, Colorado!
If you don’t quite get that reference, listen to the soothing lyrics of the great John Denver.
That’s where the Steelers are traveling for the Week 2 matchup against the Denver Broncos, where hopefully it’s not rainin’ fire.
Coming off a big Week 1 win on the road over the Atlanta Falcons, the Steelers hit the road again to take on a new-look Broncos outfit under second-year head coach Sean Payton with rookie quarterback Bo Nix poised to be the next face of the franchise in the Mile High City.
It’s always been a tough place to play for the Steelers, who have had some huge moments in franchise history there as well as some heartbreakers. That’s in the past now. The focus is on Sunday.
Here at Steelers Depot we’re doing something new this season. While Alex Kozora and Dave Bryan give their in-depth breakdown and preview of the game weekly on The Terrible Podcast, myself, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, Scott Brown and Troy Montgomery are doing a weekly roundtable, answering key questions ahead of each game.
Today, we take a look at the Steelers’ Week 2 road matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.
QUESTION 1: WHO IS THE STEELERS’ X FACTOR AGAINST THE BRONCOS?
Josh Carney: Tight end Pat Freiermuth. With Steelers WR George Pickens set to go up against Broncos All-Pro CB Patrick Surtain II (more on that later), the Steelers are going to need another pass-catching weapon to step up and produce to take some pressure off Pickens. After not targeting the middle of the field in Week 1 due to the presence of Jessie Bates III and Justin Simmons in Atlanta, there should be no real concerns in Denver this week. That’s where Freiermuth can really impact the game, should Justin Fields be allowed to cut it loose in the middle of the field. Time for Freiermuth to get a heavy workload again and produce with his big contract in hand.
Joe Clark: OLB T.J. Watt. If Watt can play anywhere close to the way he did in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, the Steelers are going to be just fine against Denver. The Broncos have a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix, and Watt could make it a very long Sunday for him with constant pressure. Nix had two interceptions in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, and a similar showing could be in line if the Pittsburgh pass rush gets home. That’s going to be led by Watt, who has a big opportunity to follow up his Week 1 showing with strong performance against the Broncos.
Ross McCorkle: RB Najee Harris. Over the first eight weeks of the 2023 season, Harris went for over 70 yards just once. This year, he did it in Week 1, and I think he is set up for a big game against the Broncos’ defensive front. They have a lot of talent in the secondary, but their front seven leaves a lot to be desired. The Seattle Seahawks rushed for 146 yards on them, including a 103-yard performance by Kenneth Walker III. Harris should have the opportunity for a 100-yard game early in the season here.
Scott Brown: RB Jaylen Warren assuming his hamstring cooperates. His reduced role in the season opener made it clear that he was not back to himself after getting hurt in the Steelers’ second preseason game. With another week to get right, Warren could be poised for a big game in Denver. The Steelers can pair him with Najee Harris to batter the Broncos’ defense. He could be even more valuable in the passing game. Patrick Surtain II is going to follow George Pickens everywhere he’s allowed. That shouldn’t preclude the Steelers from taking their shots to Pickens. But also get Justin Fields some easy completions and get Warren into the open field.
Troy Montgomery: P Corliss Waitman. Probably not the first player who comes to mind when you think of X factor, but he could be crucial this week. With Cam Johnston out for the year, Waitman appears to be the guy at punter for the foreseeable future. He’s punted in Denver before, so he should feel comfortable this week. With the Steelers’ offense still looking slow, he could be critical to keeping the Broncos offense’ just as slow. If he can keep them in bad field position, the Steelers’ defense should have a much better time pinning its ears back and attacking. Let’s hope he’s half as good a holder as Scotty Miller too.
QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE KEY MATCHUP TO WATCH IN STEELERS-BRONCOS?
Josh Carney: Steelers WR George Pickens vs. Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II. It seems rather obvious here, and I thought about going elsewhere, but this one is so key for the Steelers — and for the Broncos. The two are very familiar with each other, having squared off multiple times during their collegiate days at Georgia and Alabama, respectively. Pickens is coming off a strong Week 1 in which he created the third-most separation in football, per Pro Football Focus, and had two 30-plus-yard receptions. Surtain struggled against the Seahawks, allowing four receptions on five targets. This is a huge matchup, one that is must-watch. Should be quite a battle on Sunday.
Joe Clark: OLB Alex Highsmith vs. LT Garett Bolles. Bolles is a former All-Pro and has been a strong pass protector in his career, but he’s dealing with an ankle injury that caused him to leave Denver’s Week 1 matchup early. He seems likely to play on Sunday though, and Highsmith could help out Pittsburgh’s pass rush with a good game. Watt can lead the way, but if Highsmith gets going too, the Pittsburgh defense will feast against a rookie quarterback. Getting Highsmith going early in the season after he had a pass deflection last week would be a positive, too.
Ross McCorkle: OT Troy Fautanu vs. OLB Jonathon Cooper. The Broncos have a pair of very nice edge rushers in Baron Browning and Jonathon Cooper. The latter had two sacks in Week 1 and played exclusively on the left side of the defense. Assuming Troy Fautanu starts, which looks likely, this is my matchup to watch. Fautanu’s only preseason game was rough around the edges with one sack given up and nearly another allowed. He needs to better than he was in those 25 preseason snaps over the course of a 60-minute game.
Scott Brown: FS Minkah Fitzpatrick vs. QB Bo Nix. This one also comes with a caveat. Will the Broncos let their rookie QB throw anywhere near Fitzpatrick after a shaky NFL debut? It would be nice if the Steelers jump on the Broncos early and force them to throw downfield. Fitzpatrick is so due for a pick, having now gone 19 consecutive games without one, including the playoffs. Fitzpatrick may not be the Steelers’ Jason Bourne but the three-time All-Pro is a game changer. And the Steelers’ Jason Bourne – that fellow by the name of Watt – is enough by himself to force Nix into some ill-advised throws.
Troy Montgomery: WR Van Jefferson vs. CB Riley Moss. Outside of George Pickens, Steelers receivers had a brutal Week 1. Jefferson is supposed to be the team’s No. 2 wide receiver, but he only had one catch for one yard in Atlanta. This week, he’ll need to be more productive. Pickens will likely be matched up against All-Pro Patrick Surtain II, so another receiver is likely going to need to make plays. Moss was drafted in the third round in 2023, so a veteran like Jefferson should be able win that matchup at least a few times. If he doesn’t, the Steelers are going to have serious questions about their wide receivers room.
QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO THE GAME FOR THE STEELERS?
Josh Carney: A successful rushing attack. The Steelers rushed for 137 yards in Week 1 but did so on 41 carries and failed to really put the game away late with the run game, giving the Falcons one last chance. This week, going against a Broncos defense that allowed 146 yards on the ground to the Seahawks in Week 1, the Steelers have an opportunity to establish the run and hammer away at Denver. Rookie OT Troy Fautanu might get his first career start, too, which should give the Steelers a bit of a boost in the run game. Najee Harris was solid in Week 1, but there’s meat on the bone and a real opportunity ahead this week.
Joe Clark: Continue to win the time-of-possession battle. Pittsburgh’s defense should have a good day against Nix and the Broncos’ offense, and if they can play the way they did on offense last week, they’ll be fine. Run the football well, move the sticks, don’t turn the ball over and the Steelers should win the game.
Ross McCorkle: Limit negative plays on offense. The Broncos had nine tackles for loss and two sacks against the Seahawks. The Steelers’ offense is designed to stay on schedule. We saw what happened in the preseason when they were behind the chains and out of rhythm. This also includes avoiding penalties. The Steelers’ offense had five penalties last week.
Scott Brown: Continue what they did in Atlanta. Run the ball, drain the clock, and let their defense do its thing. This week the Steelers get a QB who has thrown for exactly 39,488 less NFL yards than Kirk Cousins. Granted, Bo Nix is more mobile than Cousins. A street sweeper is more mobile than Cousins right now. But Nix is a rookie, and time for the Steelers to get back to tormenting Kermit-the-Frog-green QBs.
Troy Montgomery: Harass Bo Nix. He’s a rookie quarterback, and the Seattle Seahawks made his first start a nightmare. The Steelers have a cast of characters on defense who should be giving Nix nightmares leading up to this game. Head coach Sean Payton is a veteran of the game though, and he’ll likely have some things schemed up to keep Nix clean. Even if the Steelers’ offense is slow once again, that unit should get a chance to warm up if the Broncos aren’t allowed to find their footing.
QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR STEELERS AT BRONCOS?
Josh Carney: The Steelers are historically good against rookie quarterbacks, and that shouldn’t change this week. Denver’s Bo Nix made some plays with his legs last Sunday, but he was very limited as a passer and made some killer mistakes with the football. He’ll be going up against an elite defense this week, one that has a fearsome pass rush that could give a banged-up offensive line fits. Add a full week of preparation as the starter for Justin Fields and an expanded offensive playbook, and I see this one turning out in the Steelers’ favor again. Steelers 23, Broncos 13.
Joe Clark: Mike Tomlin’s success against rookie quarterbacks should continue. The Steelers might keep the score down, but I see their first offensive touchdown coming (actually, their first two) with RB Najee Harris leading the way with over 100 yards on the ground. Steelers 20, Broncos 10.
Ross McCorkle: My preseason prediction was a 31-17 comfortable win for the Steelers. That was with Russell Wilson going against his old team. With Justin Fields, I don’t see the score being that high, and after watching the Steelers’ defense in Week 1, I am not so sure a rookie quarterback will be able to put up 17. I think everybody is pretty curious to see how Justin Fields looks with a full week of preparation, and with an opened-up playbook that actually looks toward the middle of the field. I am adjusting my preseason prediction a bit, but the same result. Steelers 24, Broncos 10.
Scott Brown: History indicates that the Steelers are ripe for an upset. They have too often played down to the level of the competition under Mike Tomlin, and they have a miserable record in Denver dating back to 1991. I think this season is different. This team has a sense of urgency about it, and this defense is dominant. The offense gets just a little better from last week and Pittsburgh starts a season 2-0 for the first time since 2020. Steelers 23, Fightin Schlereths 10.
Troy Montgomery: Fans are likely in store for another low-scoring, defensive game. The Broncos’ offense struggled in Week 1, and the Steelers couldn’t even score a touchdown. However, the Steelers’ defense is elite while the Broncos’ defense is just a good unit. Pittsburgh has the star power on defense, and that should help it win the game. Justin Fields and the offense just need to protect the football. Russell Wilson should get some sort of revenge this weekend. Steelers 20, Broncos 14.
What did you think of this Depot roundtable previewing the Steelers-Broncos Week 2 matchup? Leave your thoughts below and feel free to provide your own answers to the questions in the comments below!
