Coming off their Week 1 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, the Pittsburgh Steelers are rolling into Week 2 as three-point favorites against the Denver Broncos. That’s per VSIN, which lists the Steelers as minus-three versus Denver.
Pittsburgh struggled to finish drives against Atlanta but relied on ace kicker Chris Boswell and an elite defensive performance to hold the Falcons to 10 points in an 18-10 win. The biggest question of the week will be who the Steelers will start at quarterback. Justin Fields got the nod over an injured Russell Wilson, the latter held out due to a minor calf strain, and Fields did enough to win. He used his legs effectively, sprayed the ball downfield, and while the offense looked sloppy, the Steelers ultimately didn’t turn the ball over. Wilson pushed to play against Atlanta and will likely want the start against the Broncos, his former team, even more.
Denver’s starting quarterback is much clearer. That’s rookie Bo Nix, who had a rough debut in a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks Sunday. Facing Mike Macdonald’s defense, the mastermind in Baltimore last year, Nix went 26-of-42 for 138 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. He did record a rushing touchdown, leading Denver with 35 yards on five carries.
But the offense struggled to get WR Courtland Sutton the ball and saw little production from its running backs. The Broncos were miserable on third down, 5-of-18, and lost the turnover battle, 3-2. Seattle effectively rolled on the ground, RB Kenneth Walker III rushing for over 100 yards and more than 5 yards per carry.
Pittsburgh hasn’t had much recent success playing at Denver, losers of its last two there and six of its last seven. But if the Steelers’ defense can play like they did Sunday and the offense can finish a couple drives, they’ll have a good chance to start 2-0 for the first time since 2020.
