Steelers' snap distribution was the most incriminating stat from Week 1

As ugly as it was at times, the Pittsburgh Steelers emerged victorious in Week 1 (which is more than the rest of the AFC North can say). Quarterback Justin Fields stepped up to the challenge and led the team to six scoring drives without turning the ball over, as the defense stole the show.

The end result is what every Steelers fan wanted: an upset road win against the Atlanta Falcons. But the means to accomplishing this result was head-scratching when you look at Pittsburgh's snap counts from Week 1.

While snap counts may seem meaningless at first glance, it's important to consider what type of shape this team will be in come Week 18 (and possibly even the playoffs in January). Some players were overworked in the season opener, while others didn't see nearly enough action.

Let's start with the offense.

In Week 1, wide receiver Van Jefferson saw more offensive snaps (49) than George Pickens (46). Jefferson did little to help his team despite seeing a significant number of snaps. He managed just one reception on two targets for one receiving yard despite being used on offense a majority of the time.

Calvin Austin III and Scotty Miller were left in the dust with 28 and 17 snaps, respectively.

Interestingly, tight end Connor Heyward saw just five offensive snaps in this contest compared to 40 for MyCole Pruitt. Most assumed Heyward would be running over the veteran on the depth chart, but the snap distribution tells a different story. Meanwhile, running back Jaylen Warren was on the field for 21 snaps but saw just two carries against the Falcons.

Defensively, some up-and-coming players were an afterthought. Nick Herbig had a spectacular summer after a promising rookie season in 2023, but he earned only 17 snaps in this contest compared to 50 for T.J. Watt and 49 for Alex Highsmith.

DeMarvin Leal saw a mere five snaps as part of the defensive line rotation compared to 10 for Isaiahh Loudermilk and 20 for Montravius Adams, while cornerback Cory Trice Jr. played only 7 defensive snaps compared to 33 for undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop Jr.

Steelers need a healthy balance when distributing sacks

Early in the season, most fans won't read much into snap counts, but as the season marches on, we begin to understand why a proper distribution of snaps is so important.

Massive workloads take a toll on the bodies of even the best NFL players during an 18-week season (plus potentially playoffs). The question the Steelers need to ask themselves is this: is it better to overwork your starters now for early success or have them fresh and ready to go in December?

By deploying some of the younger players on the roster, the Steelers are getting up-and-comers the experience they need to eventually make a sizeable impact while also giving their starters much-needed rest.

The last thing we want to see is this team limp into the playoffs with a banged-up roster in desperate need of a break. We've seen this too often in the past.

We can all be grateful for a Steelers road win against the Falcons in Week 1, but moving forward, Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff need to do a better job managing snap counts and deploying a healthy rotation if this team wants to have success late in the season.

All snap count numbers courtesy of Pro Football Reference.