Hey Steelers fans. Welcome to Thursday.
It’s a podcast night here at SCB! Make sure you set aside some time to watch or to listen to the SCB Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing Inc! We are live at 10pmET on our YouTube channel!
The One They Couldn’t Lose
It’s entirely possible that when the Pittsburgh Steelers open the season in Atlanta the offensive line will be comprised of three rookies. That possibility reared its ugly head yesterday when Issac Seumalo left practice with a pectoral injury. The bad news is that he’s likely down for the first month of the season. The good news is that this could have been worse had he torn it. Ask most people who pay attention to the Steelers and they’ll tell you without hesitation that Seumalo is their best O-Lineman. No disrespect to James Daniels, but losing Seumalo is a bigger deal. His experience, leadership and overall mad disposition as a player will be missed. What is less certain is who takes his place. There is a camp that feels Spencer Anderson will get the nod while the other camp feels like it will be rookie Mason McCormick. Should it be McCormick, he would join fellow rookies Zach Frazier and Troy Fautanu in the lineup. If I’m Pat Meyer – the team’s offensive line coach – then I’m getting my charges ready for a lot of twists and stunts from teams on the early part of the schedule.
The National Obsession
I know there are some in the Steelers’ media circle that believe there actually was a QB controversy but it just isn’t accurate. Mike Tomlin officially named Russell Wilson the starter yesterday despite the veteran QB playing only a handful of series in the final two preseason games. What is most striking to me is how the national media wanted this to be a debate throughout the entire preseason. I would bet my life that during pre-show meetings on ESPN and NFL Network, there were specific instructions to talk this up as if it truly were a competition. This is the media today.
OK But…
While Wilson in my eyes and the eyes of many others was always going to be the starter, that doesn’t mean Justin Fields won’t play. Tomlin admitted they’ll find a way to use him. But keep in mind also that if Wilson isn’t playing well over the first month of the season, Tomlin won’t hesitate to go with Fields as his starter.
How to Use Nick Herbig
If you chose an MVP of the three preseason games I have to believe that Nick Herbig would be the guy. He just isn’t a high motor guy either. He gets results too and that is why Teryl Austin will likely find ways to utilize him as more than just a backup. Don’t be a bit surprised to see Herbig on the field with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith at the same time. Where they align is anyone’s guess but they believe Herbig to be too damn good to just use as a backup. Stay tuned.
Oh-Mar
The Khan Artist is struggling. Despite a desperate need for an upgrade across from George Pickens and perhaps some help in a couple of other areas, Omar Khan has been shut out. I suppose there’s the chance that he hasn’t even approached many of the players that so many of us believe would benefit the Steelers but the question would be why not? The franchise once again has spent less cash than any other team in the league. Just when you thought they were coming into the 21st century you’re left to wonder… maybe they haven’t.
Random Reads
I’m really starting to wonder if I want Brandon Aiyuk on this team. From a talent perspective? Of course but the stuff coming out of San Francisco about his attitude and behavior has been troubling… NYG rookie Malik Nabers will wear number one this season. The only problem is that the number was retired. The family of Hall of Famer Ray Flaherty has given permission to the Giants to issue the number. As more and more teams retire numbers, look for this to happen more often… Falcons’ QB Kirk Cousins is 1-1 all-time against the Steelers. He lost as the QB for Washington in 2016 and then won as the Vikings’ QB in 2021. He has two career TD passes and four INTs against PIT.
Hot Reads is Presented by Frank Walker Law!
