Russell Wilson’s time with the Pittsburgh Steelers got off to an unsure, widely-publicized start. The veteran quarterback strained his calf during a conditioning drill at the start of the team’s 2024 training camp. The injury caused Wilson to miss crucial time on the practice field and in preseason, but it seemed like he was trending toward being healthy again. However, in the days leading up to the Steelers’ opening game, Wilson is not guaranteed to start.
All Eyes On The Quarterbacks
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Wilson’s calf has been a focal point throughout training camp. With the 35-year-old passer still unsure of his status for Sunday’s Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons, that focus could shift quickly from Wilson to Fields. Since Wilson has been nursing the training camp injury, Fields has received a much larger share of the reps than a backup usually would. The former Chicago Bears quarterback has developed a report with several of Pittsburgh’s weapons, so if the decision is made to start Fields and hold off with Wilson, leadership shouldn’t be an issue.
Wilson might have the fourth-most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history, but his production running the football diminished after the 2017 season. Fields has tallied 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground since 2021, a drastic difference from Wilson’s 801 yards rushing with eight touchdowns in the same period. Considering the growth Fields has shown in the short time since joining the Steelers, Wilson may have reason to feel uneasy if it ends up being Fields under center in Atlanta on Sunday.
Injuries Test Offensive Line Depth
The news that 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu was a full participant in practice on Friday marks the second consecutive day the offensive tackle hasn’t been limited in preparation for Week 1. Considering that Fautanu was on track to miss at least one week of the regular season after sustaining an MCL injury in the preseason opener, his availability is a massive boost in the offensive trenches. The ever-polarizing Dan Moore Jr. was ready to fill in, but the prospect of seeing Fautanu and Broderick Jones as bookends on the offensive line is something Steelers fans are desperate for.
Isaac Seumalo will miss time, but depth on the line’s interior should allow the Steelers to get through that stretch without missing too much of a step. Seumalo is widely seen as the best offensive lineman on the roster, but between Spencer Anderson and rookie Mason McCormick, the coaching staff feels confident heading into the season opener. Regardless of which quarterback starts against the Falcons, the offensive line will either be called upon to protect a less-than-healthy veteran or a young dual-threat eager to show that he wasn’t the problem in Chicago.
Frazier Is Starting For A Reason
Pittsburgh selected offensive linemen in three of the first four rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, something the team hadn’t done since the common draft era in 1967. Fautanu (1st round) looks likely to start on Sunday, and McCormick (4th round) has already established himself as a possible option with Seumalo injured. The team’s second-round selection, center Zach Frazier, is quietly making a name for himself by coming to work, making progress, and showing why the Steelers were so excited to draft the former West Virginia lineman.
It seemed as though Nate Herbig was in line to be the team’s starting center in 2024, but a season-ending rotator cuff injury put Frazier in the driver’s seat, and he hasn’t looked back. After a 2023 season marred by Mason Cole’s inconsistent play, Frazier represents a significant upgrade to the offense and to the attitude Pittsburgh is trying to bring back to the franchise.
Arthur Smith’s Revenge Game
After several seasons in which the Steelers’ approach to offense seemed convoluted and haphazard, Pittsburgh took strides during the 2024 offseason to correct that issue. The days of Randy Fichtner and Matt Canada are in the past, with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith bringing a new offensive perspective to the team. Smith marks the first Steelers’ offensive coordinator with any prior NFL coordinator experience since Todd Haley. The return to Atlanta could provide some emotional fuel for Smith; if so, he could be out to prove why the Falcons made a mistake in letting him go.
Pittsburgh plays in Atlanta to open the team’s 2024 season, which is a quick turnaround for Smith, who was fired as the Falcons’ head coach in early January of 2024, one day after a 48-17 loss to close the year. With some back-and-forth at quarterback, flux on the offensive line, and a wide receivers’ room seen as one of the worst in the league (29th). With the two-headed monster, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, Steelers fans hope the team finally fields an offensive attack that resembles a professional-level strategy.
A Backfield Of Weapons
Harris, a polarizing player in Pittsburgh, is one of the most consistent running backs in the league, and he is the only one in the NFL to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in the last three seasons. That was accomplished despite running behind atrocious offensive lines and in an embarrassing, Canada-designed offense. With a bigger, more talented line, Smith at the helm of the offense, and an upgraded quarterback room, Harris is aiming to make 2024 a breakout season. However, the key to Harris sustaining his consistency in 2024 and beyond is another player: Warren.
Warren, an undrafted free agent (UDFA) for the Steelers in 2022, is a shifty, compact complement to Harris. Harris’s downhill, bullying style matches up with what Smith had in Derrick Henry as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, but Warren adds that X-factor that raises the bar. A hamstring limited Warren before being a full participant on Thursday and Friday, so Cordarrelle Patterson is ready if he has to be the other half of the backfield. Whichever duo runs the ball in Atlanta, the success of Pittsburgh’s rushing attack will go a long way toward making 2024 a success.
No Answers At Wide Receiver Yet
When the Steelers traded starting wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, the assumption was that the front office planned to bring in someone at or close to Johnson’s level to replace the lost production. All eyes were on Brandon Aiyuk, but his new contract with the San Francisco 49ers left the Steelers with a group of pass catchers other than George Pickens, with more than a few eyebrows raised in skepticism.
As unexpected as it may be, Pittsburgh will begin the 2024 campaign with Pickens as the star. After him, though, names such as Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and Scottie Miller fail to bring much confidence, especially considering the quarterback questions that need to be resolved. Smith has succeeded with offenses that didn’t have a household name as the second receiver. However, that success was contingent on many other areas running smoothly. The wide receivers represent a group that should be a valuable addition to the offense, but problems will quickly arise if they are relied on much beyond that.
It’s All About The Defense
With all the questions on Pittsburgh’s offense, the defense looks ready to be the team’s strength heading into the start of the 2024 season. A front seven that could be one of the best units the Steelers have seen in a long time should allow the secondary to work out any remaining issues at nickel cornerback. From the exciting pass-rushing trio of TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig to young defensive linemen Keeanu Benton and DeMarvin Leal, the Steelers are seeing defensive spending pay off.
Beanie Bishop Jr. doesn’t look like the answer at nickel cornerback. Still, with several rotational options involving second-year Cory Trice Jr. or even rookie linebacker Payton Wilson, that question will be resolved sooner rather than later. Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson represent one of the better cornerback duos the team has had for some time after Patrick Peterson underwhelmed in 2023. With Minkah Fitzpatrick ready to get back to his exceptional style of play, the Steelers 2024 will follow where the defense leads.
Will The Falcons Challenge Pittsburgh?
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The Falcons are an excellent way for the Steelers to determine how much the team has improved since 2023. Kirk Cousins signed a four-year contract with Atlanta for $180 million ($100 million guaranteed), which means the expectation is that he will revive the franchise. Pittsburgh has always been a team that rushes the quarterback at a high rate, but the 2024 Steelers look built for sack numbers in the top 3 of the league. If the Falcons can’t give Cousins the kind of pocket he needs to execute, Pittsburgh’s defense could make it a very long day for the hosts.
After nearly three years of Canada’s offense, Steelers fans aren’t sure what to expect on Sunday. An experienced offensive coordinator makes a legitimate difference in setting a team up for success. The Steelers don’t have an offense built to be the focal point, but it is a group that should prove capable of exceeding where 2023 took the franchise. In 2024, Pittsburgh is spending the most defensive money in the NFL ($160.3 million) and will field an offense with $64.8 million invested in it – the least in the NFL. Any Week 1 strategy other than leaning on the defense isn’t a winning one for the Steelers in Atlanta.
Final Thoughts
Despite quarterback questions, offensive line injuries, and an assumed lack of wide receiver depth, a pounding, successful rushing attack can counterbalance those concerns early. It might not be pretty or considered good television, but Pittsburgh’s Week 1 matchup against the Falcons is where a defensive, low-scoring game favors the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s new punter, Cameron Johnston, could play a key role in flipping the field and giving the defense every advantage.
Russell Wilson starts: Steelers 26 – Falcons 17
Justin Fields starts: Steelers 21 – Falcons 10
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