The Pittsburgh Steelers delivered an all-around disappointing preseason performance against the Buffalo Bills. Struggling to find any rhythm, the offense managed to score just three points against the Bills' backups, failing to reach the end zone even once. Compounding the issues, the offensive line, which had been a major topic of discussion throughout the offseason, showed significant weaknesses.
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Steelers' Broderick Jones gets ready to block Bills' Greg Rousseau.
Broderick Jones, who was anticipated to have a standout 2024 season, was particularly underwhelming. After a period of adjustment in 2023, the rookie had started to generate excitement among fans with his potential. However, his performance against the Bills fell far short of the expectations fans had for his 2024 season, raising serious concerns among the Steelers' faithful.
Adding to the unease, a significant injury occurred in the game against the Houston Texans prior to the Bills matchup. Steelers' 2024 first-round draft pick, Troy Fautanu, suffered a knee injury during the first half. Despite playing through the discomfort, fans remain anxious given Fautanu’s injury history, which had already caused him to slide in the draft.
Fortunately, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo has reported that Fautanu intends to be ready for the Week 1 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the concerns.
"Troy Fautanu said he plans to be ready to play by the season opener against the Falcons. He said he’s just following the advice of the trainers now and doing what he can to rehab his sprained MCL."
Fautanu spoke to the media on Tuesday to provide an update on his injury. He acknowledged that he felt something was wrong with his knee, but was determined to continue playing through the discomfort.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Troy Fautanu in his first preseason game versus the Houston Texans.
After the game, it was confirmed that he had sustained a sprained MCL. Fortunately, he reassured everyone that he is expected to recover and be okay.
"It felt off, but I was not going to stop playing," Fautanu said. "I was like, I barely got my feet wet, so I decided to keep playing in the second quarter. I told them to throw some tiger balm on it and I just kept going."
Fautanu went on to share why he found it important to play through the knee injury.
"Come halftime when we were walking down the stairs to get in the locker room, my leg felt like something was off. I went in there and asked for a knee brace and this and that because I wanted to keep playing. I wanted to make up for what didn’t happen in those first couple drives."
Despite the injury, the Steelers made an unexpected move by naming Fautanu as the starting right tackle, deviating from their usual approach.
The plan was initially for Fautanu to play at right tackle throughout the preseason and continue in that role for the Week 1 matchup against the Falcons. While his injury altered those plans slightly, Pittsburgh remained committed to making him the starter.
Steelers' Troy Fautanu Not The Only Rookie Starting On The OL
The Steelers view Fautanu as one of their top offensive linemen and are eager to see him excel as a rookie. Joining him as a starter is another rookie, Zach Frazier, who will take on the center position.
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Troy Fautanu (left) and Zach Frazier (right) work on blocking drills during Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
Frazier has received high praise from teammates and coaches, who believe he is ready for the starting role. They have noted that he doesn’t exhibit the typical traits of a rookie and is well-prepared for the transition from college to the NFL. With Nate Herbig out for the year, Frazier’s readiness has become even more crucial for the team. Steeler Nation is about to see just how good these new rookies are on the offensive line in 2024.
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