The Steelers are 2-0 through two weeks of play, and while things have been far from perfect, they stand alone on top of the AFC North. Their week 2 win over the Broncos was a picture-perfect example of the ups and downs that this team can experience in one week. While fans are naturally happy with the win, they are also critical of how the team is winning.
As we head into week 3, there are some blatant things that people are overreacting to about this franchise. Some concerns are justified; Broderick Jones getting benched is a tough pill to swallow and Joey Porter's penalties are getting noticeable. That said, please don’t overreact to these three things ahead of the Chargers game this week.
Steelers Cory Trice’s interception for Steelers
Cory Trice was called into action in week 2 due to Donte Jackson’s injury in the game. It wasn’t permanent, as Jackson returned to the game, but Trice had the opportunity to prove himself as the first option off the bench. He did ok for himself, and most notably he secured a key red-zone interception, the first of his career.
It was a good showing in his second career game, but let’s not write his name down in the history books quite yet. James Pierre found similar success in a similar situation a few years ago, but he was never able to carve out a consistent career on defense.
That isn’t to say Trice is on the same path, but one interception in injury relief doesn’t make Trice a star quite yet. Add in the fact that, so far, Jackson has played extremely well as the second cornerback and there isn’t a need to rush Trice back onto the field. I hope he develops into a good starter, but one good outing as an injury replacement doesn’t mean he is a certified star quite yet.
Steelers current record
I’m not sure who had the Steelers standing on top of the AFC North through two weeks, or who had the Bengals and Ravens losing their first two games, yet here we are. As stated, the wins haven't all been impressive, but the result is the same nonetheless. However, before we start chanting Super Bowl or anything, these wins need to be put into perspective.
The offense has only mustered 31 points so far, a far cry from what the top offenses in the NFL can do. While the defense has been dominant, eventually the offense will need to click more. Right now, I would have Pittsburgh as a pretender, but there is a lot of room for improvement and the ship can easily be righted.
Justin Fields passing stats
It is time to let Justin Fields cook in this offense. The Steelers have decided to keep a muted offense again in week 2, and through two weeks the team has amassed less than 300 total yards passing. While it is easy to blame Fields as the quarterback, and he is certainly deserving of some of the blame, but there are a lot of other factors at play here.
For starters, Fields has seen big passes to George Pickens get negated in both weeks due to penalties. Those passes were perfect, and had they hit Fields would be looking at roughly a 25 percent increase in total passing yards.
The offense is also playing extremely conservatively, which isn’t helping his cause either. Fields has quietly been efficient and effective, but the scheme around him isn’t helping him.