After two opposite Week 1 outings, the Steelers now meet the Denver Broncos from Mile High Stadium. In Week 1 the Steeler’s defense could not have looked better. The pressure from T.J. Watt, the whole defensive line, and Alex Highsmith gave QB Kirk Cousins fits all afternoon. This resulted in two interceptions both to new Steelers Deshon Elliott and Donte Jackson.
Speaking of two interceptions, let us talk about Bo Nix, the Steeler’s Week 2 QB foe. Nix threw two picks in his NFL debut while managing an all-but impressive 47.5 passer rating. If he thought the Seattle Seahawks defense was tough, there is a minimal chance he has slept this week considering who he faces next.
While the Broncos offense was not impressive neither was the Steelers. Surprise starter Justin Fields did just enough to manage the game well with no turnovers and secure the win. However, there was no spice in the offense as they were as vanilla as could be, not scoring a single touchdown.
With Fields likely getting the call again this week, it will be interesting to see how he responds after a Week 1 victory. The Steelers meet a struggling Broncos team in what could be a must-win game already this season.
Here’s all you need to know on how to watch the Steelers-Broncos game in Week 2.
How to watch Steelers vs. Broncos
Date: Sunday, September 15
Game time: 4:25 p.m. ET
TV channel: CBS
Live stream: CBS app with valid cable login, Paramount+, NFL+ in local markets
Steelers-Broncos will air locally on CBS in jurisdictions indicated by the color blue on the map below.
In areas highlighted in blue, the Steelers-Broncos game will air on CBS (KDKA locally in Pittsburgh), also available to watch on the CBS app with a valid cable login for those within the broadcast map. For those outside of the area, the game will air on Paramount+ via their LIVE game options with a subscription for $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
Those who are in the viewing areas noted on the map above indicated by the color blue will be able to watch the game on the NFL+ even if they don’t have access to watch Fox. An NFL+ subscription, which allows users to watch live local and primetime games in the regular and postseasons, with additional access to watch NFL Network, is available for $6.99 per month or $49.99 annually.
We have evergreens dominating our landscape, but a nice New England fall is always pretty. | Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
College Football Season Edition
It almost 8 am Henry and I are enjoying the fall like weather on our upper covered deck. I’ve got a triple americano, a book, and he’s napping after his breakfast. Love this weather.
What sort of weather are you having in your area currently?
A lot of ink has been spilled on the OL already, but I’m going to ask anyway, what lineup do you think would be best to start Sunday, if everyone but Isaac Seumalo are healthy?
What position group, minus TJ’s group, was the best last weekend?
Which one, other than the WRs, need to step up?
What college game(s) are you keeping an eye on this evening?
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos will square off at Empower Field at Mile High in a battle of AFC teams that seem to be on two separate paths.
The Steelers are 1-0 after an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The defense had three takeaways and looked like their dominant selves. Justin Fields played respectable, accounting for 213 total yards of offense and made multiple throws downfield to George Pickens that put Pittsburgh in scoring position. For the Steelers, it’s just about converting the field goals into touchdowns.
The Broncos are coming off a weird game against the Seattle Seahawks that featured scores of 5-3 and 9-8. Bo Nix had a miserable game, averaging 3.3 yards per attempt and throwing two ugly interceptions. A garbage time touchdown made the 26-20 game look much closer than it really was. Seattle’s self-inflicted wounds kept Denver in the game early before they pulled away.
I have zero confidence in this. I’ve seen too many Steelers games in my life against opponents just like this where they should win handedly and either win by the skin of their teeth or just lose outright. I’d like to they won’t have one of those this season, but they don’t have the star-power on offense that gives me that assurance. Even when they did, they’d still lose games to the Mike Glennon Bears or the Ryan Mallet Ravens. I’ll pick them just because Bo Nix is a bad quarterback, and they should be able to torment him, but I won’t be shocked if I’m angrily writing about how the Steelers blew an easy win over a team they are better than.
Point total pick: Under 36.5
Regardless if the Steelers win or not, this isn’t going to be a high-scoring game. The Broncos have no weapons that scare you outside of Courtland Sutton, and Pittsburgh will play the clock control game. Even if their offense looks solid, I don’t expect an explosion in terms of points.
Same Game Parlay
Alternate Total Points: Under 40.5 (-210)
Najee Harris Alternate Rushing Yards: 70+ (+134)
George Pickens Alternate Receiving Yards: 60+ (+120)
Justin Fields went 6-for-6 on throws under 2.5 seconds against Atlanta. However, the results left plenty of room for improvement from both the players and Arthur Smith.
Hello and welcome everyone to BTSC Film Room, a new series I hope to continue throughout the season. The premise is simple: I’m a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the game of football at large. For the past few years, I have had an interest in expanding my knowledge of the game. I started by watching videos and cutups online of other people breaking down film, but never dabbled in it myself. Until now.
Before we get going, I want to set some expectations for what you can expect from this series. As I’ve mentioned, this is my first foray into film analysis. My hope for these articles is to increase my own understanding of the game and hopefully bring you all along with me. I want these articles to be a space for safe and open learning. I’m certainly not an expert, and I don’t expect you to be either. We might not know the exact terminology a team uses for a given play or formation, and there might be some concepts we come across that are entirely new to us. That’s OK! If you disagree with my analysis or have a correction you believe should be made, I’d love for you to leave a comment — a respectful one of course — or hit me up on Twitter and start a dialogue! We’re all learning here.
But let’s stop beating around the bush and get to what you came here for.
Last week, the Steelers grinded out an 18-10 victory over the Falcons. After Russell Wilson reaggravated his calf injury earlier in the week, the Steelers had to pivot to starting Justin Fields at quarterback. Arthur Smith called a pretty conservative gameplan for his young QB and Pittsburgh’s offense handily won the time-of-possession battle (35:36 vs. 24:24) and limited Atlanta’s offense to only 15 plays of offense in the second half. Of course, we’d all like to see our offense score some touchdowns, but overall they did what they needed to be done to win.
Justin Fields had a solid albeit not entirely impressive day, completing 17-of-23 passes (73.9 percent) for 156 yards. Those numbers could have looked better if not for a ticky-tacky offensive pass interference call against Pickens that wiped out a 36-yard reception and forced a punt, as well as a phantom down-by-contact ruling that nullified the yards after catch on another bomb to Pickens later in the game. Fields also influenced the game with his running ability, rushing 14 times for 57 tards (4.1 YPC) and picking up five first downs with his legs. He didn’t turn the ball over and mostly kept himself clean, taking two sacks in the game.
The flaws in Fields’ game thus far in his career have been widely discussed. He has shown inconsistent processing speed, which is one of the factors that contribute to his high sack rate. One way an offensive coordinator can help a quarterback like Fields out is to give him a few plays a game where he has a simple read designed to get the ball out of his hands quickly. This can happen in a few ways, but they tend to involve shorter routes where the quarterback either splits the field in half pre-snap based on the look the defense is giving, or it can be a one-read play such as a screen.
With that in mind, I was curious how Arthur Smith called the quick game for Fields, and then how well Fields and the rest of the offense executed it. For this exercise, I narrowed my search down to plays where the ball was thrown in 2.5 seconds or less. For transparency, it should be noted this doesn’t include plays where the ball potentially should have come out that fast, only the plays where that qualification was met.
The Steelers and Fields made six of these types of throws all game. In those, Fields completed all six passes, equating to roughly one-third of his completions on the day. Though the Steelers were efficient in completing these types of throws, the returns won’t look pretty in a box score as they netted a grand total of 12 yards and one first down. That said, a box score is free of context, so I wanted to look closer. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the good, the bad, the ugly, and try to determine if we can take anything constructive from this film moving forward.
1. Q1 04:02 — 1st & 10 on PIT 49 — J.Fields pass short right to G.Pickens to PIT 44 for -5 yards
The first play we are looking at came on the first play of the Steelers’ second possession of the game. The game is tied 3-3 and Pittsburgh has just intercepted Kirk Cousins. On their previous drive, the Steelers tied the game despite a series of sloppy plays including a fumbled snap and a badly missed throw to Van Jefferson. Likely wanting to settle his young quarterback down, Arthur Smith calls for a WR screen to George Pickens.
(4:02) J.Fields pass short right to G.Pickens to PIT 44 for -5 yards (J.Smith-Williams) pic.twitter.com/QN1z7K4uLu
The Steelers come out with 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) and load up on the right side. As it’s first down and the Steelers are expected to run a ton this year, the Atlanta defense has to be prepared for that in this scenario. Atlanta brings out a five-man front with two inside linebackers and runs what looks like some version of a Cover 3 look here. Cover 3 is a solid early-down option against teams that like to run the ball because it protects against deep shots downfield while allowing one defensive back to creep closer to the line of scrimmage to help support against the run or any quick underneath routes.
At the snap, Van Jefferson runs a crossing route to clear out and freeze the middle of the defense. It works as linebackers Nate Landman (53), Keden Elliss (55), and safety Jessie Bates (3) are forced to react to Jefferson’s route. Fields further complicates the defenses’ eyes with a play action to Najee Harris that makes Elliss hesitate another beat before dropping back for Jefferson’s route. A pulling Mycole Pruitt helps sell this as a potential run before settling in to pass block on the left side. Meanwhile, guard James Daniels initially gets hands on Atlanta’s Grady Jarrett (97) before passing him off so he can block the nearest perimeter defender — James Smith-Williams (50) on this rep. Similarly, center Zach Frazier is asked to climb to the second level, where he picks up Landman. Broderick Jones is tasked with walling off the edge defender, which is Jarrett once Daniels passes him off. All of this is done to buy time and create space for the screen to Pickens. The hope is this creates an alley for Pickens who should pick up solid yardage or potentially produce an explosive if he can win in the open field one-on-one.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t play out here. The design isn’t overly complicated, but the Steelers’ timing and execution muddies the play, resulting in a five-yard loss. So what went wrong?
I’d again like to reiterate I don’t know how the Steelers’ staff drew this up, or how they’re coaching these concepts. I also have the benefit of rewatching the play several times in slow motion, while the players are reacting to this all within 2.5 seconds. Still, I’d like to see Pickens receive the ball as he’s coming back to the quarterback, not once he’s going back outside. Fields fakes the ball to Harris, then continues with three more steps while looking at Jefferson to sell the crosser. I’d like him to get that ball out quicker without the additional dropback, but that could be what Smith is coaching. I also would have liked the ball a little more in front of Pickens so the receiver could have a little more forward momentum. These are nitpicks. Regardless, the play still should have worked as executed up to that point. For me, the two biggest culprits for why this play ended in a loss are Pickens and Jones.
Let’s start with Jones. I won’t be too hard on him here because I ultimately think most of the blame falls on Pickens, but we’re trying to diagnose what happened. I found the endzone view to be informative. You can see at the snap, Jones goes to block the edge defender, Smith-Williams, who initially steps forward like he’s rushing. Smith-Williams is faking, however, and quickly bails into coverage. This coincides with Daniels passing off Jarrett who is still working to the backfield, but quickly changes directions once the ball is thrown.
Jones takes a bit of a misstep here, stepping inside to seal Jarrett off from Fields. The problem with that is it gives Jarrett a clear path to disrupt the area where the play is designed to go. Jones should have known the ball was coming out quickly and not to worry about Fields, and instead made sure Pickens had a clean alley to run. It’s a tough beat, but to Jones’ credit, I still think he did enough to slow Jarrett and make this play effective. My main culprit here is Pickens.
In the image above, I’ve paused where I think the play ultimately fails. Pickens hesitates a moment to read the path in front of him. The yellow arrow represents where I believe the play is designed to go, and the hole Pickens should have hit hard as soon as he made the catch. Instead, he stutter-steps as he realizes Jarrett has gotten away from Jones.
Maybe Jarrett closes the gap before he can get by, but I believe the speedy Pickens could have made it at least to the line of scrimmage if he hadn’t hesitated. Daniels has done a good job driving his defender toward the sideline, which also makes Pickens’ choice to bounce to the outside a tough one. If he could have hit the hole and followed Frazier’s block downfield, Pickens would have had a one-on-one with AJ Terrell (24) in space. Going outside puts him directly in the path of Smith-Williams and is an easier pursuit angle for Terrell.
It’s a rough beat, but not a terrible design. This is a play I expect we’ll see the Steelers hit on in the future.
2. Q1 00:19 — 3rd & 3 on ATL 34 — J.Fields pass short left to G.Pickens to ATL 31 for 3 yards
Of the quick passing plays the Steelers ran against Atlanta, this was the one they executed best. This comes on the same drive as the first play we observed. Pittsburgh converted a first down despite the initial negative play and had bled out most of the remaining time in the first quarter. Faced with a third-and-short, Smith cuts the field in half for his quarterback, asking him to pick a side. A clever use of pre-snap motion springs Pickens free and Fields finds him for the conversion.
(:19) (Shotgun) J.Fields pass short left to G.Pickens to ATL 31 for 3 yards (M. Hughes) pic.twitter.com/HCOqjEgjmP
The Falcons come out with Nickel personnel, in what initially looks like Cover 2 man, but rotates post-snap into more of a Cover 1 look. The Steelers counter with 11 personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end, 3 wide receivers) and put all three receivers to the right side of the formation.
The Steelers motion Pickens to the left and hide him behind Pat Freiermuth right before the snap, ensuring him a free release. From there he and Freiermuth run a basic “Stick” concept, with Muth running a hitch to the first down marker and Pickens running a flat. Simmons (31) and linebacker Troy Anderson double the tight end. With Hughes playing off coverage, Pickens is able to beat him to his spot at the stick and convert the first down.
A quick note, I think the Steelers can tinker around with this formation and run this play with a different look. On this play, Fields clearly decides he’s getting the ball to Pickens, his best receiver and reads the left side of the field. But if we look on the right side of the formation, I think Fields would have found another conversion had he chosen to read that side instead. With nickel corner Dee Alford (20) playing off coverage and the safety Bates rotating to play the deep middle, Jefferson’s out route and Austin’s in-breaker create a natural rub that could be exploited. After years of ineptitude at offensive coordinator, it’s great seeing Smith scheme up a play that can win in multiple ways. Keep an eye out to see if the Steelers run this play in the future with Pickens running the out route.
3. Q2 06:08 — 1st & 10 on PIT 45 — J.Fields pass short right to G.Pickens pushed ob at PIT 47 for 2 yards
Our next play comes from the Steelers’ next possession. Having already converted a couple of first downs, the Steelers offense is approaching midfield. If we exclude the fumbled snap to start the game, Pittsburgh had called a running play on four of the team’s seven first-down attempts. With Pittsburgh in empty shotgun on this play, it’s clear Smith was seeking to keep an even balance of run-pass on first down. Here he dials up a simple “Go-Out” concept. The two outside receivers run go routes, the two slot receivers are running five-yard out routes. Pat Friermuth is running an in-route here, but his chances of getting the ball on a call like this are pretty slim.
Once again, the Falcons are in nickel personnel, and once again they appear to run some version of Cover 1 man. Bates takes coverage of Pickens, and breaks downfield towards Pickens at the snap. Fields reads Bates depth and quickly pulls the trigger to get his number one receiver the ball on what should be an easy completion.
(6:08) (Shotgun) J.Fields pass short right to G.Pickens pushed ob at PIT 47 for 2 yards (J.Bates) pic.twitter.com/FQX1lhyJHJ
The Steelers get the completion, but it’s hard not to feel like they left some meat on the bone. Pickens rounds his route and I can’t tell for certain if that’s just how he chose to run his route or if he’s reacting to where Fields is throwing the ball. The placement here is less than ideal. Below, the green “X” marks where you’d like to see the ball. If Fields puts it there, Pickens has a shot to turn upfield after the catch. The red “X” — where Fields actually throws it — makes Pickens give ground, and Field throws it high as well. Pickens bobbles it before securing the catch, eliminating any shot at yards after the catch.
To be fair to Fields, Andersen (44) does get an arm in the throwing lane, and the awkward placement could have resulted from Fields adjusting his throwing angle to avoid getting the ball batted at the line. Still, this is an example of the Steelers making what should be a fairly straightforward play harder than it needs to be. A false start penalty and the Pickens OPI eventually killed this drive anyway, but you want to see the Steelers execute on the simple ones.
4. Q2 05:31 — 2nd & 13 on PIT 42 — J.Fields pass short left to J.Warren to PIT 46 for 4 yards
Speaking of that false start, this was the play the Steelers called immediately following that penalty. It’s another simple concept designed to get the ball out of Fields’ hands quickly without asking him to make any post-snap progressions. I’m not sure what the Steelers call this, but if you’ve played any football video games, you might recognize this play as “Mtn HB Swing.”
Prior to the snap, Jaylen Warren motions behind Fields and continues to shuffle to his left. Once the ball is snapped, Warren continues to run behind the line of scrimmage while the two receivers at the top of the screen set up their blocks. The Steelers are once again in 11 personnel running against the Falcon’s Nickel package. Austin is the left outside receiver and Pickens lines up in the slot. The play is pretty bang-bang, so I’m not sure if Atlanta was attempting to run Cover 2 or Cover 1, but it seems clear they are in man coverage if you watch how Simmons (31) follows Warren.
(5:31) (Shotgun) J.Fields pass short left to J.Warren to PIT 46 for 4 yards (K.Elliss, J.Simmons) pic.twitter.com/nIX90Y4UUw
Again, I don’t won’t to gripe too much. The Steelers gain four yards on the play, which is usually a success. Still, it feels like they could have gotten more with slightly better execution, which might have kept them out of third-and-long.
First, I again would like to see Fields place the ball out in front of his target. Warren catches this off his back hip, which robs some of the forward momentum he could have had on the play.
Second, I’m not loving using the 5’9 and 162-pound Austin as a key blocker on a screen — more on that later. Falcons corner AJ Terrell is listed as 6-1 and 194 pounds, and he abuses Austin here, nearly pushing him into Warren as the running back hits the hole. Already contorting from Fields’ ball placement — and possibly still feeling the effects of his lingering hamstring injury — Warren has to adjust again and doesn’t show the usual burst we’re accustomed to seeing from him on these types of plays. He’s able to make Terrell miss, but the play is dead shortly after as Elliss and Simmons arrive to make the tackle.
The Pickens OPI call happens on the following play, so this wouldn’t have killed the drive had that penalty never been called. However, it’s these little details that often make the difference between a win and a loss.
5. Q2 00:32 — 1st & 10 on PIT 30 — J.Fields pass short left to C.Austin to PIT 37 for 7 yards
Pittsburgh got the ball back just before the end of the first half. Once again, the Steelers trot out their 11 personnel and Atlanta answers with their Nickel personnel. I’m less certain what coverage they are running here, but I want to say Cover 6. My reasoning is Atlanta appears to have four defenders playing zone on the side where the Steelers have three potential targets: Austin, Pickens and Warren. On the other half of the field, Hughes appears to pick up Jefferson in man coverage, and nickel corner Alford does the same with Freiermuth while Bates floats to the deep middle of the field. Cover 6 is a coverage that mashes Cover 2 and Cover 4 together, so that’s my best guess here.
Then again, it’s possible Atlanta was playing Cover 2 man and Terrell passes Pickens off to Simmons because he already sees the ball leaving Fields’ hand. Andersen (44) didn’t appear to be playing man, but it’s possible he was just respecting Austin’s speed and giving cushion so he wouldn’t get beat deep up the seam. We’re learning here, so if you know what coverage this is, please share in the comments!
(:32) (Shotgun) J.Fields pass short left to C.Austin to PIT 37 for 7 yards (T.Andersen) pic.twitter.com/hBoX69u6H1
Back to what the Steelers are doing. Fields was likely asked to split the field in half here. Pick a side and read it. To no surprise, he picks the side with Pickens. This is a good read from Fields as Austin finds a soft spot in the coverage to hit his hitch.
I have a few gripes with how Pittsburgh managed the clock the rest of the drive — namely not using either of their timeouts — but they ultimately got the field goal thanks to a 41-yard connection to Pickens a few plays later.
6. Q4 07:43 — 3rd & 2 on ATL 7 — Fields pass short right to V.Jefferson to ATL 6 for 1 yard
The Steelers wouldn’t attempt a throw under 2.5 seconds again until halfway through the fourth quarter. Set up in the redzone, the Steelers run a play not too dissimilar from the “Mtn HB Swing” to Warren they used earlier in the game. But instead of Warren, this time it’s Van Jefferson motioning behind the backfield.
(7:43) (Shotgun) J.Fields pass short right to V.Jefferson to ATL 6 for 1 yard (J.Bates) pic.twitter.com/NZnXgGjYjG
It’s a basic play here, but unfortunately, it doesn’t pick up the first down. This one falls at the hands of Pickens and Austin, though I’d like to hear Smith explain why he keeps trying to make Calvin Austin a key blocker. Simply switch Austin and Jefferson’s roles here and I think the Steelers at least pick up the first down, if not the score.
Instead, Austin is once again blown up attempting to block some over 30 pounds heavier than him. Pickens isn’t blameless either here. He makes aggressive first contact, but he throws his shoulder without getting hands on Bates. Bates is an All-Pro and someone Smith said he tried his best to gameplan around. He easily sheds the block and combines with Terrell to stop Jefferson short of the sticks. Better blocking from the Steelers receivers and smarter personnel usage from Smith will be needed to get this offense to the next level.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into the quick passing game Pittsburgh utilized last week. Pittsburgh has plenty of room to grow here, regardless of who is under center the rest of the season. Smith didn’t call anything complex, but that was the point. These plays are supposed to make life easier on the quarterback. Better execution from the players will be necessary, but you can see the framework the offense is working with. Even if the results weren’t as good as they could have been, it was refreshing to see Smith make calls — other than the Austin blocking stuff — that make sense and have clear reasoning behind them.
They’ll need more of it on Sunday against Denver.
If you have any suggestions for future film room topics, please comment below!
The Steelers are once again bolstering their wide receiver depth ahead of a game this season. Per a team announcement, Pittsburgh has elevated practice squad wide receiver Ben Skowronek to the active/inactive roster for the second straight game.
Against the Falcons a week ago, Skowronek didn’t record any catches, but he did contribute 10 special teams snaps.
Last season, Skowronek recorded eight catches for 66 yards and a touchdown with the Los Angeles Rams. On Sean McVay’s team, the 6’3, 224-pound Skowronek wasn’t just a physical receiver. He also was respected as a special-teamer and blocker, lining up in the backfield as a fullback occasionally.
NFL practice squad players can only be elevated three times in the regular season before the team has to sign them to bring them back to the 53-man roster. After the Broncos game, Skowronek has one elevation left.
Pittsburgh kicks off against the Denver Broncos at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 15.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a golden opportunity to start 2-0 for the first time since 2020, and only the second time since 2017. They’ll take on a Denver Broncos team that looks less than optimal, and could be competing for a top five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Regardless, the Steelers have no right to take anyone lightly – here is this week’s game plan.
Send constant heat at Bo Nix
The Seahawks sent five or more rushers at the Broncos’ rookie on 11 of his dropbacks, which was tied for fifth in the NFL, where he went 6-of-10 and only averaged 2.7 yards per attempt and just over four yards per completion while being sacked once and pressured five times. Garett Bolles may or may not play, and even if he does he isn’t 100 percent. Send heat all game. Continue to have sets where three pass rushers are on the field at the same time and make life a living hell for Nix.
Feed Najee Harris
Harris didn’t have a massive stat line in Week 1, but he was productive with his touches, racking up 79 yards on 21 touches. The Seahawks were able to run all over the Broncos, with Kenneth Walker rushing for 103 yards on 20 carries, and the Seahawks as a team ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Get the run game going early, and continue establishing long, balanced drives.
Another WR needs to step up
Two catches for eight yards from receivers not named George Pickens just isn’t going to cut it. Someone needs to step up. Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, a potentially debuting Roman Wilson – someone. The passing game can’t be George Pickens and prayers.
Avoid the trap
The Steelers are better than the Broncos, but how many times over the years have we gone into a game with supreme confidence only to be disappointed? Losing to the Mike Glennon Bears in 2017, tying the Browns in 2018, two consecutive losses to two-win teams last season – I’m sure there are several other examples you can name. Don’t make Sunday a game we can add to that list. Take care of business and beat a team that you are better than.
Are the Steelers ready to move forward with Fields?
Justin Fields and the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to start 2-0 as they travel to Denver to take on the Broncos. Fields went 17-of-23 for 156 yards with an additional 57 yards on the ground to help the Steelers start 1-0, and is all but certainly starting on Sunday against Denver. However, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers may already be planning to start Fields in Week 3 for Pittsburgh’s home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“According to sources, the Steelers plan to have Justin Fields start the next two games – Sunday in Denver against the Broncos and the home opener Sept. 22 against the Los Angeles Chargers – while Russell Wilson continues to rest his injured calf so it doesn’t morph into something worse,” Dulac wrote. “By that time, especially if the Steelers are 3-0 with Fields as their quarterback, the gossip, conjecture and narrative will increase to royal-tabloid measures.”
Steelers plan is to start Justin Fields next two games while Russell Wilson rests injury. https://t.co/8866kErJWn
Should Fields play well and Pittsburgh win in Week 2, there would be no reason to pull him. Sunday is a big chance for Fields to take hold of the starting job for good.
I really can’t find any matchup that are particularly compelling today. The point spreads are either sky high, or the teams combined record is under. 500.
That and the mess with Disney and Direct TV is going to make watching hard, I’ll probably get some chores done, and drop in to check up on things from time to time until I head out for soccer around 4:00 pm.
I did notice a few interstate rivalries like Oregon vs Oregon St. And Washington vs Washington St. that unusually happens much later in the season. Another college football snafu. If you can’t knock your state rival out of a good bowl game/the playoffs late in the year, what’s even the point of playing them?
As usual, let us know which teams or players you’re keeping an eye on today.
Ben Skowronek has once again earned a promotion to the Steelers active roster. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers have called up the wideout from the practice squad.
The former seventh-round pick was traded to the Texans this past offseason but was among Houston’s final cuts. He subsequently landed on Pittsburgh’s practice squad and earned a promotion for Week 1, with all 11 of his snaps coming on special teams.
Skowronek showed some flashes during his time with the Rams, including a 2022 campaign where he hauled in 39 receptions for 376 yards. Third-round rookie Roman Wilson was limited at practice this week while dealing with an ankle injury, so Skowronek provides Pittsburgh with some reinforcement on the depth chart.
Speaking of injuries, quarterback Russell Wilson has officially been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Broncos. The veteran reportedly made the trip to Colorado with the intent to play his former team (per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). Of course, Wilson also traveled to Atlanta for Week 1 before eventually being listed as out, so we shouldn’t read too much into this decision.
If Wilson can’t go, Justin Fields would earn another start with his new squad. There was uncertainty atop the depth chart heading into the season opener, but Fields had the luxury of taking all of the first-team reps this past week. The speedy QB admitted that the extra practice time should help his performance if he does indeed start tomorrow.
“I guess it helps me a little bit,” said Fields (via the team’s website). “But like I said last week, I come into every week the same with the same approach that I’m going to play. I’d rather be ready and just have that mindset.
“So, I guess it helps a little bit. But it’s really the same process for me.”
Your new daily word game obsession is here. Try out our new NFL player guessing game.
By now, you’ve probably already seen the new SB Nation in-5 daily trivia game. It made its debut over at SBNation.com recently, but we have now decided to switch things up a bit (because we’re still in the figuring-it-out phase here): for the next few days, the game will be posted directly here on Behind The Steel Curtain at 8 a.m. ET each day.
The game will live in a new article each day for you to play, chat about, and provide feedback.
An important note: this game includes a field of current and former random NFL players, not just current and former Steelers players.
Play the game (we’re picking from among both active and retired players)
Share your result in the comments and on social media
Provide feedback (Google Form or in comments below)
See SB Nation in-5 game instructions below the game.
SB Nation in-5
The goal of the game is to guess the correct random NFL player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS this week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. It will be a mix of well-known players and some “that guys” that we haven’t thought of in some time. The game will appear in slot #3 of the layout each day this week, with a new article each day for the game.
After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will let us know what you think and how we can improve the game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.
