My final Pittsburgh Steelers thoughts heading into the home opener versus the Seattle Seahawks.
1. All eyes on are OT Broderick Jones.
It is no secret that former first round draft pick Broderick Jones is in a “prove-it” year in the biggest way ever. In previous training camps, he couldn’t win the left tackle job in a competition with Dan Moore Jr and had to wait for the veteran to leave for a bigger payday just to get his shot. Jones had a rough first outing against the Jets last week, responsible for three sacks and several other negative plays. He can’t let his 41 year old quarterback get hit that much each week. Jones has said all the right things regarding his need to play better. But talk is cheap. He just needs to do it.
2. This could be a chance for redemption for the run defense.
After the miserable breakdown at the end of last season, the Steelers bolstered the defensive line. The front office and coaching staff claimed that the run defense would be more physical, more stout, more successful. On the first play of the game last Sunday, Jets RB Breece Hall rushed for 18 yards. It never really got better, as the Steelers gave up 182 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns. But this week could be an opportunity for the defense to right the ship. Against the San Francisco 49ers, the Seahawks only gained 84 yards rushing, with an average of 3.2 yards per carry and no explosive runs. The Steelers defense could have similar success.
3. The rushing attack could still struggle.
On the flip side, the Steelers run game may not do any better than their anemic performance last week. Seattle held 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey to 69 yards on 13 carries with a long of 13 yards, and the rest of the team did not add much to that total. This may not be the week that Steelers RBs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell find success carrying the ball.
4. Another shootout could save the day.
The Steelers best hope for victory may be following the unexpected results from last week. No one had the Steelers scoring over 30 points. Rodgers threw four touchdowns and found multiple receivers to move the ball down the field. While the number of 3rd and long situations wasn’t ideal, they managed to convert most of their first downs in the air. Rodgers posted a remarkable ANY/A of almost 9, which was crucial to the win. It’s not sustainable long term, but they may need that type of success once again to rack up points against Seattle.
5. This could be the second week for an “I told you so” postgame sentiment.
After posting a 4-2 record with the Steelers last season, QB Justin Fields was benched to allow Russell Wilson, who had been sidelined with a calf injury, to assume his original role as starting quarterback. Against the Steelers last week, Fields played well. There were reports that, following this performance, multiple Steelers staffers were commenting behind the scenes that the team should have left Fields as the starter and signed him to a long term deal. This week, the Steelers face quarterback Sam Darnold, a player that the Steelers reportedly tried to sign as a free agent during the off-season. If Darnold has a good day in Pittsburgh, this could be yet another “woulda, shoulda, coulda” scenario.
