The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off their 2022 season with a fairly surprising win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Not many folks were expecting the Steelers, who switched out their quarterback this offseason, to beat the AFC's representative in the most recent Super Bowl. But their defense stifled Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense, and Mitch Trubisky and the Steelers offense did just enough to pull out a win.
Next on the schedule for the Steelers is a matchup with the New England Patriots. The Patriots aren't the super power team they once were, but with Bill Belichick still at the controls, they can never be taken lightly. That will be important to remember considering New England is coming off a tough season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers played well in Week 1, but it's clear they have some holes that they need to patch up moving forward. In order for that to happen, some players are going to have to step up and play better than they did in Week 1. Let's take a look at three such players who are going to have to step up for Pittsburgh if they want to beat New England in Week 2.
3. Najee Harris
Najee Harris picked up a foot injury in the Steelers win over the Bengals and was forced to leave the game early. But after assuring reporters he would be good to go for Week 2 against the Patriots, Harris logged a full participation in practice for the Steelers yesterday, clearing his name from the injury report.
It's clear Harris is going to have to be better than he was in Week 1, though. He picked up just 26 total yards on 12 touches, and while he did score the Steelers only offensive touchdown, his efficiency was putrid. The injury didn't help matters, but Harris is being counted on to be a workhorse running back for Pittsburgh, and he ended up getting out produced on the ground by wide receiver Chase Claypool in Week 1.
The Patriots defense has some holes that can be exposed in the front seven, and if Pittsburgh wants to win this game, they are going to need Harris to find those holes. When he gets going he's tough to stop, and it will be interesting to see if he's fully recovered from the injury he picked up in Week 1. But without a strong showing from Najee Harris, the Steelers won't stand a chance against New England.
2. Malik Reed
The Steelers were hoping Malik Reed could be a solid situational pass rusher when they picked him up from the Denver Broncos this offseason, but he didn't make much of an impact in Week 1. He played only 32 percent of the Steelers defensive snaps, and picked up just a single tackle on the day.
With T.J. Watt out for the next few weeks, though, Reed is going to be thrust into a bigger role starting immediately in Week 2. Losing Watt's all-around defensive skillset hurts, but the hope is that Reed will be able to fill in for him and create pressure on opposing quarterbacks while he's on the sideline. Reed's ability to do so could determine whether or not the Steelers can stay afloat in Watt's absence.
Pittsburgh has other pass rushers, such as Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith (who racked up three sacks in Week 1) to help out here, but Reed is going to have to show up now that he's set for a bigger role. New England's offensive line didn't look great to open the season, so there's a chance that Reed could end up making a big impact in his first game filling in for Watt.
1. Mitch Trubisky
It's easy to say that Mitch Trubisky had a good debut with the Steelers because they won, but truthfully, he was mediocre throughout the day. The defense led the way with five turnovers, and without that contribution, the Bengals probably steamroll the Steelers in Week 1. Trubisky didn't really have to do much, and when he did, he barely did enough to pull out a game that shouldn't have even had to go to overtime in the first place.
Pittsburgh's defense is not going to force five turnovers every game, and when they don't, Trubisky is going to have to step up and do what it takes to win games for the Steelers. The Patriots are not going to be a pushover despite their listless Week 1 outing; Trubisky is going to have to play better immediately in Week 2.
It will help if he gets some more support from Najee Harris, but there are going to be times when Trubisky will have to make big throws to keep the Steelers offense moving down the field. He didn't really do that in Week 1 and got away with it. He may be able to get away with it again in Week 2 against the Patriots depending on how they play, but it's clear Pittsburgh needs better production from Trubisky than they got in Week 1.
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