The Pittsburgh Steelers were dominated by the New England Patriots in the 2019 NFL season opener. Fortunately, it appears they may have dodged a bullet concerning wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Smith-Schuster suffered an apparent toe injury late in the 33-2 loss. According to NFL Network's James Palmer, head coach Mike Tomlin doe not seem to be too concerned with his status for Week 2:

Mike Tomlin told reporters that he is optimistic about JuJu’s availability for Sunday.

This is certainly an encouraging update for the Smith-Schuster. The Steelers were unable to get anything going on offense even with their Pro Bowl wideout in the mix. The last thing they needed was to be shorthanded against the Seattle Seahawks.

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Smith-Schuster had been held in check by a talented Patriots secondary. He even had the honor of cornerback Stephon Gilmore mirroring him all night. He finished the game with six receptions for 78 yards.

The departure of wide receiver Antonio Brown left a notable void in the receiving corps this offseason. Although the Steelers were adamant about not getting caught up in all the distractions, it is clear that the focus was not there on either side of the ball in what should have been a statement game.

Despite the loss of Brown, there was plenty of optimism that Smith-Schuster would be able to step up and fill the void as the No. 1 option in the passing game. It is safe to say that things got off to a rough start in his new role. However, he will have an opportunity to bounce back against Seattle.