My final Pittsburgh Steelers thoughts heading into the season opener at the New York Jets.
1. I'm not buying the denials.
It doesn't matter how many times we hear Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Jets quarterback Justin Fields say that this is just like any other game, they just want to get a win, and whatever cliché comes next. They can deny that this game means more until they run out of oxygen. I'm still not buying it. Rodgers was invited to fly from California to New Jersey just to be told he was going to be fired. And this was after playing all 17 games last season, racking up almost 4,000 passing yards and throwing for 28 touchdowns. Justin Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 record, only to be benched when presumed starter Russell Wilson recovered from a calf injury, never to be used on any level for the rest of the season.
It is possible that both players are so Zen and at one with the universe that the chance to beat their former team doesn't matter. But I call BS. There is a reason the Steelers have a tradition of awarding a petty ball. Rodgers and Fields both know that tradition. I bet other teams have a similar prize. And while they most certainly want to win this week's game for all the right reasons, you can be sure a revenge victory would make it all that much sweeter. Even if they never admit it outside the locker room.
2. Communication is still a concern.
We will never know if Mike Tomlin's decision to sit many of his starters for all three preseason games was the right call. On the bright side, the Steelers did not lose any key starters to season-ending injuries. But real game experience, even in the preseason, matters when it comes to players getting comfortable with each other and understanding their play calls and signals. Practice cannot replicate that.
With multiple players on both the offense and the defense playing together for the first time, communication miscues could lead to disaster. A young offensive line in a road game with a potentially loud crowd is not the ideal situation to learn if they can respond to the changes that a high IQ veteran like Rodgers wants to make at the line of scrimmage. While it is not Patrick Queen's first year with the green dot, there are a lot of new faces in this defensive back group. One or two blown coverages could make for an unfavorable outcome.
3. Jaylen Warren has everything to prove.
For most of the preseason, the conversation about running backs centered on Kenneth Gainwell versus rookie Kaleb Johnson and who would get more playing time as a backup this season. Then the debate shifted to how many running backs the Steelers would carry on the 53 man roster and who might win that fourth spot if it existed. Ironically, not much has been made of Jaylen Warren's debut as the starting running back. Maybe that is because he is well known to the fans and media already. Maybe that is because he saw a fair number of snaps last year, splitting time with starter Najee Harris, who has now moved on as a free agent.
But for the former undrafted rookie, this is a tremendous opportunity and Warren has a lot to prove. Not just because of his ball security concerns. Or because the Steelers just gave him a contract extension. Mostly because the team has been talking about improving their run game for years and it has not happened yet. The pieces are potentially in place. It's Warren's time to prove he deserves the opportunity.
4. The trend they need to end.
Stop me if you have heard this one before: A star offensive lineman for the opposing team is out due to injury and a much less talented or experienced player will be filling in. The Steelers defense will make this backup into a turnstile, successfully pressuring the opposing quarterback all day.
And yet, somehow, that backup looks like a Pro Bowl player the day he faces the Steelers defense. I have fallen for it so many times I have lost count. I want to see that story unfold differently today. Jets starting right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker was just lost for the season with a triceps injury that requires surgery. Stepping in for him will be starting center Joe Tippmann, who will shift over to fill in at guard. Backup Josh Myers will take over at center. With a rookie, albeit a talented rookie and the 7th overall pick in the 2025 draft Armand Membou at right tackle, this should make for a field day for the Steelers defensive line and pass rush.
For once, they need to capitalize on the opportunity.
5. The end doesn't need to be thrilling.
If I had a dollar for every time I tweeted that the Steelers were providing free cardiac testing near the end of the fourth quarter, I could be a minority owner in an NFL franchise. While it's great that the Steelers tend to win close games, it would be a refreshing change to see them take the lead and hold it without a nail-biting finish or the need for a game-winning drive to come back from squandering their advantage. I love a thrilling final few minutes when it goes our way but it would be a fascinating experience to cruise to a comfortable win. Just this once.
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