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After entering Week 1 of the 2024 season as one of the more questionable teams in the NFL, with as many fans predicting they will end up with a top-5 pick and a spot in the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers secured a shocking win over the Atlanta Falcons with ease, putting up 18 points versus 10 by Raheem Morris' team on the way to a perfect record.
And in Week 2, Mike Tomlin's team has a chance to do it all again against one of the less effective teams in the NFL in the Denver Broncos, who looked downright bad against the Seattle Seahawks last week.
While the Steelers' ultimate ceiling is still very much up in the air, with another easy opponent lined up for Week 2, it's safe to assume fans in Pittsburgh should be very happy with how things shake out in the Mile High City, as they have a very good chance to keep the momentum going before the schedule gets tougher.
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1. Bo Nix struggles against the Steelers defense
In Week 1, Bo Nix struggled mightily against the Seattle Seahawks, completing just 26 of his 42 passing attempts while being picked off twice and sacked two more times in an all-around 20-26 loss in the Emerald City.
While Nix didn't completely drop the ball in his debut, he did put in a few highlight-worthy plays in Week 1 on passes to Josh Reynolds and Courtland Sutton while actually leading his team in rushing at 35 yards, including a late touchdown run to keep things closer than they had any right to be, the infrastructure simply wasn't in place for the Oregon product to shine in his debut, let alone work within a professional offense.
And in Week 2, Nix will have to do it again against one of the best defenses in the NFL, going from Mike Macdonald to Mike Tomlin in a true cage of unluck.
Still, even if most Steelers fans expect Nix to have a tough time, Tomlin is keeping a healthy respect for his foe, as he saw some things from Denvers' QB1 he actually really liked.
“I was somewhat surprised by his quarterback mobility and level of impact on the game,” Tomlin told reporters. “I thought he was highly effective by design or by adlib last week; he scored a touchdown late last week with his legs, he extended some plays, and made some plays. Like I said, they changed the launch point some with the misdirection plays, misdirection passing, it's challenging. We didn't have to deal with a lot of launch point changes and quarterback mobility last week, and so this is a new challenge for us in terms of the regular season this year, and so we'd better respect that (and) prep to position ourselves to play.”
Could Nix make some plays for the Broncos in Week 2? You bet, but do you know what? He probably won't be able to make enough to keep his team in the game, as Tomlinson's defense has a reputation for making rookies look bad, especially when they aren't perfect setup for success.
2. Justin Fields does enough to keep starting in Week 3
Technically speaking, fans still don't know who will be the Steelers' QB 1 in Week 2, as either Wilson or Fields could end up on the field at this point. Then again, while addressing Week 2 with local reporters, head coach Sean Payton certainly sounds like he's preparing for Fields under center and is worried about the former OSU product's ability to put in work on the ground.
“I think, just overall, I would say the consistency in the second half,” Payton explained via the Mile Hugh Report. “There were some runs… Making sure we’re fitting that the right way. Build on the things that we did well, and then, obviously, we’re playing someone this week who’s very mobile. So I think when we talk about defending the run, that includes the quarterback this week like a running back.”
To be fair, Payton is right to be worried about Fields as a runner, as Fields picked up 57 yards on 14 runs in Week 1 to go with 156 yards on 17-23 passes through the air. Granted, Fields didn't rip off any highlight reel touchdown runs, as his long on the game was just 12 yards, but still, his running abilities kept the Steelers alive when they needed him most, and Pittsburgh left Week 1 with a win over the Falcons in Week 1 as a result.
If Fields can make good decisions with the ball in his hands in Week 2, avoiding sacks, interceptions, and fumbles while managing the game within Arthur Smith's system, there's little reason to believe he couldn't do enough against the Broncos to keep the starting QB spot in Week 3 regardless of how Wilson is feeling.
3. The Steelers keep their undefeated streak alive in Week 2
Alright, so if Nix struggles against Tomlin's defense and Fields does enough to justify a Week 3 start against the Chargers, that would likely mean that Pittsburgh would leave Denver with a perfect 2-0 record, right?
Yes, if they can put in that sort of work, do just enough on offense to run up the score while dominating on the defensive side of the ball, it's safe to say the Steelers have a very good chance to win in Week despite having a “backup quarterback” under center, which is good news for Tomlin's playoff streak but bad news for Payton's job security, as a series of ugly losses could heat up his seat considerably.
