Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Thursday.
At the top of my list today is the offensive line. Dan Moore has a bum ankle. Whether or not he will play on Sunday is uncertain. As Mike Tomlin says, “His practice participation will be our guide.” Broderick Jones put in work today at left tackle and is prepared to go there should Moore be unavailable. To say I’m concerned would be a fair statement. This would mean Troy Fautanu is getting his first career start at right tackle while Jones would shift over to left a week after playing right. It would also mean that the O-Line would consist of two rookies in Fautanu and Zach Frazier along with second year guys Jones and Spencer Anderson. James Daniels would be the “old man” of the group. Let’s see how things shake out today and tomorrow but I have to admit, if they can cut through the crowd noise in Denver, I think they’ll be alright.
Podcast Night!
Episode 386 of the SCB Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing Inc will air tonight at 10pmET. We’ll give you our takeaways from the win in Atlanta and break down the week two game in Denver.
A New Facility
Earlier this week a representative from the NFL was in Pittsburgh to help the Steelers analyze their current facility. The report found, which we all knew, that the Southside facility was literally impossible to expand. While sharing the facility with Pitt Football, the facility is also hampered by the river and railroad tracks. In other words, it would be difficult if not impossible to expand. It is not a secret that the Steelers’ facility is one of the worst in the NFL. While it is noble that the continue to share facilities with the University of Pittsburgh, it’s also beyond time for both parties to go their separate ways. With a new Athletic Director coming to Pitt, maybe they can help by pushing for their own facility on campus. Either way, the Steelers need to get into the 21st century here.
Looking Ahead to Sunday
Here are a couple of things I’m already anticipating for the game in Denver… First, I think you’ll see more of Jaylen Warren. Four touches in the opener is not good and he should have been a bit peeved at his lack of usage. I think that changes Sunday. Also, the Steelers’ D will face a very different challenge. Bo Nix may be a rookie but he’s also the complete opposite of Kirk Cousins. While Cousins largely was a statue being his offensive line, Nix has above average athleticism. Sean Payton will no doubt try to use this to limit T.J. Watt and the Steelers’ pass rush in general. Lastly, don’t be surprised if you see Pat Freiermuth get close targets in the 8-10 range.
Random Reads
Joe Burrow said this week that his wrist is fine and it is not the reason for the poor showing last Sunday… Good game tonight in Miami as the Dolphins host the Bills. Josh Allen has a bad left hand so that bears watching… I’ll take the Dolphins in this one… I am not an advocate of playing regular season games outside the US but it looks like my bitching hasn’t deterred Roger Goodell. He wants to see as many as 16 games a year played outside the country. It’s a complete slap in the face to the fans who made this game what it is. And it’s also a huge disservice to the people who work at stadiums and in the community when those home games are played elsewhere… Kudos to SteelSon for getting the 3-0 shutout win last night!
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