The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting the Buffalo Bills this week for joint practices ahead of their preseason matchup. Something a little out of character for Mike Tomlin, but he is using this as an opportunity to see where his team is compared to an AFC team that is considered a conference contender. The Steelers get a chance to see some familiar faces this week with Deon Cain recently signing with the Bills, and Mitch Trubisky, who re-signed back with Buffalo after being released by Pittsburgh.
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Mitch Trubisky in 2021 talking with former Bills OC Brian Daboll.
In their first practice, both teams made sure to mix in the typical seven on seven drills, 11 on 11 drills, and the two-minute drill. When it came to Trubisky going against his former team, it's safe to say he struggled in Acrisure Stadium as he did the past two seasons. During the two-minute drill, Trubisky started off with a dump pass that gained the Bills nine yards. The next play, he throws the ball away and on third down, misses his receiver. Both teams agreed to reset, giving Trubisky another shot. He would complete one pass to KJ Hamler for a 20-yard gain, but wouldn't do much with the new set of downs. He would go on to only complete one pass for four yards and throw three incomplete passes to turn the ball over on downs. Cory Trice was responsible for two of those incompletions.
2 min drill #Bills O vs #Steelers D:
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) August 15, 2024
Mitch Trubisky in:
1) Dump pass for 9
2) throwaway. George Pickens catches it on the sideline. Says “ HE STILL WANTS TO THROW IT TO ME!”
3) Miss down seam
*teams agree to reset
First down
4) tries deep sideline, incomplete
5) KJ Hamler…
For Steelers fans, this isn't surprising seeing Trubisky not able to lead his offense down the field. Trubisky's two-year stint in Pittsburgh was less than lackluster. He finished with a record of 2-5 as a starter, throwing for 1,884 yards, with 8 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 overall appearances. The last time he saw the field in a Steelers' uniform was Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts, throwing for just 169 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a 30-13 loss.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mitch Trubisky warms up before a 2023 match-up against the Patriots.
While the former Steelers quarterback struggled to score against the Pittsburgh defense, Justin Fields was able to find the end zone easily. It took him just five plays to score, using his legs for a 30-yard rushing touchdown. This isn't anything new for Fields when it comes to replacing Trubisky on an NFL roster, as he was drafted by the Chicago Bears to do the same.
Mitch Trubisky and the Bills offense failed to score against the Steelers defense in the two-minute drill, while Justin Fields and the Steelers offense scores
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 15, 2024
Trubisky will get another shot at Pittsburgh this Saturday in their preseason matchup, but with his track record playing in Acrisure Stadium, he is not expected to light up the scoreboard. While he couldn't get the ball in the end zone in an empty stadium, it's hard to feel confident that he'll do it when Acrisure is packed with Steelers fans raining down boos when he enters the game.
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Mitch Trubisky looking up to the crowd during his stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers Made The Right Move By Releasing Trubisky
After the joint practice, it is safe to say the Steelers feel they made the best move by parting ways with Trubisky this offseason. With his struggles against the Steelers' second team defense, it looks like Trubisky will continue that trend on Saturday. The Steelers are feeling more confident in their new quarterbacks after seeing Trubisky struggling compared to Russell Wilson and Fields.
Do you think the Steelers made the right move by releasing Trubisky? Will Wilson and Fields see greater success in Pittsburgh or fail as Trubisky did? Let us know in the comments.
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