The Pittsburgh Steelers traded for both WR Mike Williams and EDGE Preston Smith ahead of Tuesday’s NFL Trade Deadline, and while wide receiver has been more of a need for the Steelers, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that Smith could out-snap Williams on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Appearing on The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan, Fittipaldo said he thinks Nick Herbig, who’s been out with a hamstring injury, will be inactive for the Steelers, leading Smith to be a key backup at outside linebacker. Meanwhile, he thinks the Steelers will be slow to work in Williams.
“I think Preston Smith is in a different situation, ’cause I don’t expect Nick Herbig to play. So I think they’re probably cramming with Preston right now, getting him up to speed with the playbook. If Herbig is down, which I expect, would be Jeremiah Moon and Preston Smith, and I think you play each of those guys 10, 15, 20 snaps depending on how it goes. The Mike Williams thing, I don’t think they’re gonna work him in a lot,” Fittipaldo said. “Don’t have high expectations for Mike Williams this week. I think you’ll see that grow week-to-week. If I had to put a number on snap counts this week, if he does dress, I’m gonna say 12-15.”
Fittipaldo pointed out that WR DeAndre Hopkins didn’t play much for the Chiefs in his debut with the team, as he played just 23 snaps in Week 8, finishing with two receptions for 29 yards, before breaking out in Week 9 with eight receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns. The Steelers likely don’t want to give Williams too much responsibility as he still learns the playbook and acclimates to the offense, so getting him on the field in limited snaps this week before expanding his role makes sense.
Not expecting Herbig to play is interesting, as he said he was optimistic he’d be able to return after the bye week and he’s logged limited practices each of the last two days. But the addition of Smith could make the Steelers extra cautious with Herbig’s recovery. Now with an additional EDGE, there’s no need to force Herbig back into action if he’s not 100 percent healthy. The Commanders are dealing with injuries to both of their tackles, as RT Andrew Wylie has been limited each of the last two days while LT Cornelius Lucas has been out. That could make things easier for T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Depending on how the games goes, though, the Steelers could get some extra rest for Watt and Highsmith and lean more on Smith and Jeremiah Moon, which could lead to them seeing 15-20 snaps. But the addition of Smith definitely makes it easier for the Steelers to give Herbig another week off. Smith’s role figures to be easier to learn than Williams, so it’s understandable why Fittipaldo expects Smith to play more.
Ultimately, we’ll find out on Sunday just how much the two newest Steelers wind up playing. Even if Williams doesn’t play much in Week 10, that doesn’t mean he can’t have a bigger impact for Pittsburgh down the stretch.
