The Pittsburgh Steelers secured a narrow 13-6 victory over the Denver Broncos in the Mile High City. While the offense showed some improvement in the first half, it struggled in the second. The Steelers entered the game as slight favorites and did what they needed to get a road win.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu sit in their locker's before Week 2 against Denver.
A key storyline heading into the game was rookie Troy Fautanu making his first regular-season start at right tackle, with Dan Moore Jr. starting at left tackle. This move meant that Broderick Jones would be benched, which surprised many Steelers fans. Moore had a strong Week 1 performance, and the Steelers have high expectations for Fautanu.
As Fautanu was returning from an injury, there was speculation about whether Jones would see any action. Fautanu played the first two series, after which Jones entered for the third series, by design of a rotating by committee approach. Unfortunately, Jones struggled during his brief time on the field, committing three penalties and being benched for the rest of the game.
After the game, Jones addressed the media while speaking on KDKA's The Extra Point, expressing disappointment and taking responsibility for his performance. However, his reaction to the question about the game rotations was both interesting and surprising.
"Not really. If not starting I really don't feel like I should be playing. It's really not a big factor for me," Jones said.
Jones' response was intriguing and seemed to critique the coaching staff, particularly offensive line coach Pat Meyer and Head Coach Mike Tomlin. It appeared that the Steelers' coaching staff was experimenting with a rotation at right tackle between Fautanu and Jones, while keeping Moore at left tackle. However, this approach quickly proved to be problematic.
Associated Press
Steelers' Broderick Jones and Offensive Line Coach Pat Meyer during practice.
Jones' performance was marked by significant issues, including a false start and two holding penalties. One of the holding penalties occurred on a crucial play where Justin Fields connected with George Pickens for a 51-yard deep pass. This impressive play was nullified by Jones' penalty, frustrating both fans and coaches. After the game, Tomlin made it clear to the media that Jones was benched due to these costly mistakes.
The game was disappointing for both Jones and Steelers fans, who saw a significant play wiped out. Jones will undoubtedly work hard to address his mistakes and improve moving forward. It will be interesting to see when he will get another opportunity, especially since he was not a starter going into the game and was quickly benched.
Steelers' Broderick Jones Is Seeing His Stock Trend Down
The excitement surrounding Jones when the Steelers traded up to draft him was high. After a solid 2023 season, Steeler Nation expected him to make a major leap in 2024. However, he began to struggle in the preseason, and it’s known that he has been playing through some type of injury on his right arm.
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones (#77) sets up at the line of scrimmage and prepares to block during a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
There had been significant concerns about Jones' preseason performance, and Week 2 didn't help his case. However, it's still too early to panic. As a young player, Jones has plenty to learn, and with time, he can work on reducing penalties and improving his play.
Jones will be focused on delivering a more impressive performance when he gets another opportunity. For now, he feels he should only be on the field if he's a starter. It'll be interesting to see if the coaching staff agrees with Jones' sentiments in Week 3.
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