3 Steelers positional battles to watch following the bye week

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a few positions where players are jousting for time. Here are three positional battles to keep an eye on following the bye week.

After stomaching through the first five games of the season for the Steelers, Pittsburgh is finally starting to turn things around before the bye week. Though they started the season 0-3, Mike Tomlin’s team has been on the mend – winning 2 of their last 3 matchups.

The Steelers defense is clearly making strides, and it’s hard not to get excited about what could be in store for them in the near future.

Still, there are a few positions where the Steelers don’t quite have things figured out. Players are jousting for more snaps, and a few of them might be able to serve bigger roles after the bye week.

Here are three positional battles to keep an eye on during the second half of the season:

Buck linebacker:

After missing weeks 3 and 4 with a hamstring issue, Vince Williams is back and looking as good as ever. In his absence, Mark Barron has assumed a full-time role at Buck linebacker. However, apart from a solid showing against the Cincinnati Bengals, Barron has struggled this year.

The two linebackers have split time at this position thus far this season, with Devin Bush playing more and more snaps as the starting Mack linebacker. Vince Williams may be a better fit for the Steelers defense than Barron. Keep your eye on how the Steelers handle this moving forward.

Number two wide receiver:

We are nearly halfway through the season, and it is still unclear who will emerge as the number two receiver for the Steelers. Diontae Johnson is likely the frontrunner for this role, but his production has dipped in recent weeks.

Johnson has just 41 receiving yards over his last two games. It’s unclear when James Washington could be getting back in the mix due to a shoulder injury, but one of these players needs to step up and prove themselves for the Steelers.

Backup cornerback:

Steven Nelson and Joe Haden are solidified as capable starters on the outside, and Mike Hilton has done a solid job in the slot. Newcomer, Justin Layne is still too raw to contribute in a large fashion this season, but he stands to be part of the long-term plans for Pittsburgh.

This leaves Artie Burns and Cameron Sutton to battle it out as the next man up at cornerback. Burns filled in for the injured Steven Nelson last week, but he struggled at times – giving up several big catches in the second half against the Chargers.

Sutton, on the other hand, has performed well in limited action. The Steelers hope Nelson will be back on his feet soon, but they need to figure out a plan of attack if he isn’t able to suit up in the future. Sutton may be the most reliable backup option at this point for Pittsburgh.

The Steelers are starting to put things together, but there are few players who are still battling it out for playing time. Let’s hope the best man wins out moving forward.