4 burning questions Steelers desperately need to answer in Week 14 vs. Patriots

Can Mitch Trubisky manage the Steelers?

Kenny Pickett injured his ankle and will be out for a few weeks following surgery. While he wasn’t providing this team much in terms of quarterback play, he was winning games and doing just enough to scrape by. Pittsburgh also boasts a highly paid and experienced backup in Mitch Trubisky, and the expectation should be for him to win games when called upon.

He didn’t do that last week, albeit there were numerous issues at hand besides just his play. A poor snap led to a disastrous start, but he came around and did okay in relief of Pickett. Hey, he has more passing touchdowns than Pickett has had in the past couple of weeks.

Trubisky doesn’t need to be dynamic. This team has won numerous games with lackluster quarterback play this season. If they can get their ground game working and have a complimentary passing game, that should be enough. Again, this Patriots defense has been one of the worst in the league, so there is hope that the low-scoring dependence the Steelers have can work this week.

Trubisky is a well-paid backup. He is also entering a scheme that has proven to not need elite quarterback play. It will be pretty damaging if he can’t replicate the success that this offense has had this week. Trubisky doesn’t need to be dynamic, but he also can’t kill this team on Thursday with mistakes.