The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-0 at the top of the AFC North heading into Week 3 after defeating the Atlanta Falcons and the Denver Broncos. Despite leading their division, there is still a lot of work to be done. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has not minced words about his frustration with what he has seen, including the ridiculous number of penalties that the team has amassed.
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Steelers' Justin Fields throws the ball during a 2024 Week 2 matchup with the Denver Broncos.
Surely, part of Tomlin's frustration stems from the many instabilities on offense. Going into the season, the plan was to start veteran acquisition Russell Wilson, but unfortunately, the former Super Bowl winner suffered a calf injury before training camp could get underway. This meant that former first-rounder Justin Fields had to step up in his place. Fields surely didn't mind. The young quarterback hopes to prove to the Steelers and the league that he is more talented than what was shown while he was with the Chicago Bears.
However, Tomlin seems to answer the same questions at every media event, and he must be tired of it because his frustration boiled over during his most recent press conference on Tuesday. Tomlin seemed to get chippy with the media, who were not willing to let go of the quarterback competition. He was first asked if Fields was still viewing this as a quarterback competition, to which Tomlin indicated the reporter would have to ask Fields directly. She then continued to ask if Tomlin still thought it was a competition.
"Again, I have stated where we are," said Tomlin. "At the beginning of Week 1, I said it was debatable, and we were staying status quo, and Russ was in pole position. My position regarding the pecking order and depth chart has not changed, guys, and it won't until the other guy gets healthy, then we will give it real consideration. Until then, I won't speculate. I don't know how many ways I can tell you guys that."
There is no timeline for Wilson's return right now. The reports on how he tweaked his calf have been vague and mixed, but most agree it occurred during a training session with the Steelers' new strength and conditioning coach. At 35 years old, it is more worrisome and harder to heal.
In two games, Fields has shown that he can effectively manage the team, even if he hasn't been putting together mind-blowing performances. What has been shown are glimpses of why the NFL fell in love with him at Ohio State: he is an exceptional athlete with incredible speed. The biggest knock on him while he was in Chicago is that he tends to turn the ball over, but he hasn't so far in 2024.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson.
There is room to grow, especially since they have only scored one touchdown this season. This has created questions about Fields' usage and speculation that Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is being held back by Tomlin. Going into Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Steelers will face a more formidable opponent and will need to bring a better game plan.
Does The Steelers' Offense Look Familiar?
Amid all those allegations that Tomlin is handcuffing Smith and forbidding him from opening up the playbook and the field, there has also been talk that what we have seen isn't much better than what we had. That feels painful to even say out loud since the previous seasons under Matt Canada were so incredibly miserable from an offensive output standpoint.
During Canada's tenure, we saw him possibly stunt the development of a quarterback in Kenny Pickett, ignore key players on the offense like Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth, and display a total lack of creativity. Now Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show has said that he doesn't think the two offenses are all that different.
That feels a bit unfair since, during the game against Atlanta and through the first half of the Broncos game, there was creativity that has not been seen in years.
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Steelers' Darnell Washington had his first career TD Week 2 against the Broncos.
While it is great to be 2-0, if Fields is going to remain the starting quarterback, Tomlin has to start allowing Smith some more control over the play-calling and allowing him to take some shots down the field. The Steelers' schedule isn't getting any easier, and while the defense has proven it is incredible, they need the offense to also step up.
What did you think about Tomlin chirping at the media in apparent frustration? Click to comment below.
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