The Pittsburgh Steelers head into Week 4 preparing to face a Minnesota Vikings team starting veteran backup quarterback Carson Wentz. Last season, the Steelers’ first loss came in Week 4. This was largely thanks to the Indianapolis Colts’ veteran backup QB Joe Flacco. Flacco entered the game after Richardson exited with a shoulder injury. He then threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 win. Ahead of the Steelers’ matchup against Wentz this week, head coach Mike Tomlin recalled that Colts matchup. He shed light on that game, saying he told his guys to try to “keep Richardson” upright.
“I don’t necessarily view it as a negative thing for the Minnesota Vikings, at least in the short-term, that Carson is playing for them. We were in a similar situation a year ago, we were playing in Indianapolis, and I commented to the guys, keep [Anthony] Richardson upright, don’t put Flacco in the game. And Flacco ended up in the game,” Tomlin said during his Tuesday press conference via the team’s YouTube channel.
The conversation’s context was regarding how a veteran backup can sometimes do the “intangible components” of quarterbacking well. Tomlin mentioned that veterans had more responsibility at the line of scrimmage and better communication. When the Steelers played Richardson last season, he was coming off two poor performances after a mediocre Week 1. The young signal caller had completed less than 50% of his passes with six interceptions.
While he excelled as a runner early in the year, he had run just eight times for 24 yards in Week 3. Tomlin-led teams usually win by winning the turnover battle, and an inaccurate, young quarterback in Richardson is the type of player they were more likely to beat than a veteran, like Flacco.
Of course, before Flacco entered the game, Richardson was excelling. He had the Colts leading 7-0 and had just moved the Colts inside the Pittsburgh five-yard line, a drive that Flacco capped off with a touchdown pass to extend Indianapolis’ lead. Although he did fumble (the Colts recovered), the Steelers weren’t having the success against Richardson that Tomlin thought they would heading into the game.
Despite mounting a bit of a comeback, the Steelers still lost. Consequently, Flacco was a national media darling throughout the week for leading Indianapolis to a win off the bench. Whether or not the Steelers could have won that game had Richardson not left, we’ll never know. But it sounds like Tomlin thinks Pittsburgh was better off playing against Richardson.
This week’s situation somewhat mirrors that scenario. Though Wentz won’t be making his first appearance of the season against the Steelers, the team can prepare for him to start. He had a strong beginning to his season, completing 70% of his passes and throwing for 173 yards and two scores in the Vikings’ blowout Week 3 win, replacing an injured J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy had a better start to his 2025 than Richardson did his 2024, but he was shaky in Week 2. Wentz could certainly be a more stable option.
On Sunday, the Steelers will attempt to prevent Wentz from doing to them what Richardson’s injury allowed Flacco to do last year.
