Steelers' Coaching Staff Noticed A Weak Spot In Week 2 Matchup And Completely Took Advantage Of It

The Pittsburgh Steelers escaped Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season with another ugly victory. This time, they got the win over the Denver Broncos by a score of 13-6. The offense looked great in the first half, and it should have been able to put more points on the board if it weren't for a penalty-ridden drive that took away some big plays. Penalties were a big part of the game as the contest was officiated very closely, and the Steelers knew how to use it to their advantage.

Pittsburgh was well aware of the officiating crew they were dealing with on Sunday. They have struggled historically with the specific officiating crew, and knew their tendencies well. Pittsburgh and Justin Fields took a lot more deep shots than they did in Week 1, and Fields was asked about this during his postgame press conference. He shared that the main reasoning for it was the tendencies of the officiating crew and how they are quick to throw the flag when there is contact downfield.

"Yeah, we knew coming into this game that this crew was the most, they threw the most [defensive pass interference flags] last year. We knew that coming in, and that was a big kind of effect on taking those shots down field. When you have a deep threat like George [Pickens] and [defensive backs] scared of getting beat deep, really it's just us or nobody. That's the thing that we preach one-on-one, it's either going to be a catch, incompletion or DPI."

A lot goes into scouting an opponent, but it is also important to know what crew will be calling the game. Officials often have a huge effect and say in the outcome of a contest, so using their tendencies to your own advantage is genius. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith and Head Coach Mike Tomlin did a good job of making sure their offense knew to force the ball deep in one-on-one situations.

Fields looked more comfortable as a passer in his second start with the Steelers. In Week 1, he seemed to play a bit more conservative, and against Denver he looked more comfortable while taking more shots. Now it is known this was a part of the game plan, and the approach was to try and draw as many penalties on the defense as possible. 

Denver has one of the best cornerbacks in the league on its roster in Pat Surtain II. Pittsburgh forced the All-Pro to have a pretty bad game. He was called for a penalty on special teams, and also got called for a hold on George Pickens. Van Jefferson also drew a crucial pass interference penalty on second-year cornerback Riley Moss, and it put the Steelers in field goal range shortly before the end of the first half. 

Smith has already proved to be an upgrade as the play-caller for Pittsburgh. The offense looks more comfortable than it has in recent years. The unit has only scored one touchdown on the season, but the points will come the more that side of the ball continues to gel together.

Steelers' Pickens Was A Huge Factor In The Victory

Pickens didn't light up the stat sheet for the Steelers, but was a big factor in the passing game. Many were worried about how he would perform against a corner like Surtain, but the third-year receiver held his own. He only caught two passes for a total of 29 yards, but he had two big plays wiped away due to penalties. He caught a deep pass on Surtain that got called back due to holding, and he also made an acrobatic play for a touchdown that didn't count to a pass interference call on Jefferson.

He held his own against the All-Pro corner, and the defense was obviously scared of the receiver as he drew multiple penalties. This is a good sign for the fanbase, as many questioned his ability to be the first option in the passing game.

What did you think of the Steelers' game plan? Let us know in the comments below!

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