In perhaps one of the most thrilling games in Pittsburgh Steelers history, one thing is for certain: Mitch Trubisky should remain as the starter for the foreseeable future.
Prior to Sunday’s kickoff, reports surfaced of head coach, Mike Tomlin wanting to keep Trubisky as the starter in 2022 while Kenny Pickett learns behind him. This is absolutely the right choice and Sunday’s performance didn’t do anything to change that narrative.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Mitch Trubisky (10) evades Cincinnati Bengals defensive end, Sam Hubbard (94) during the Week 1 regular season game on Sept. 11, 2022 at Paycor Stadium. (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)
A Refreshing Look for the Steelers Quarterback Play
Steeler Nation marveled at what Ben Roethlisberger brought to the table early in his career. His backyard style of play and scrambling abilities extended broken plays to move the chains left us all in disbelief. Unfortunately, as father time caught up with Roethlisberger, we saw fewer and fewer of those moments.
Insert Mitch Trubisky.
Trubisky won the game right here. This is Mitch at his best. pic.twitter.com/MKWIKGb7y6
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) September 11, 2022
“I saw the right end jumped offsides, so I tried to scramble around and make a play,” said Trubisky during his post-game press conference. “It was a little scramble drill.”
Those late-game heroics was just one example of what Trubisky brings to the offense – mobility and the ability to extend plays, channeling his inner Ben.
Mitch Trubisky Took Care of the Football
In what most fans and analysts are calling a lackluster offensive performance for the Steelers, the silver lining was zero turnovers, and history shows that whichever team wins the turnover battle, usually goes on to win the game.
“He did not blink,” said head coach, Mike Tomlin during his post game press conference when asked about Trubisky’s performance. “He [Trubisky] made the necessary plays in the weighty moments.”“We were playing to win,” said Trubisky. Me being smart, I’m taking care of the football, but also trying to win.”
When asked about his performance (21/38, 194 yards passing and one touchdown), Trubisky said there is a lot to learn from moving forward:
“I feel like we can be better situationally, even better on offense just to put it away, but we found out a lot about this team,” said Trubisky. “We have to be better on third down and get the run game going a little bit and me connecting more with receivers… and when we get those turnovers we have to turn them into touchdowns and not settle for field goals.”
The Steelers were able to score 17 points off turnovers.
Trubisky adds that he needs to find more completions throughout the duration of the game and being smart when it comes to using his legs to extend plays.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) drops back to throw during the first quarter of a Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 11, 2022 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. (Cara Owsley-USA TODAY Sports/CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER)
The Offensive Line Did Just Enough
All off-season, we’ve been honing in on the poor offensive line play for the Steelers. But according to Trubisky, the line “gave him time” to make decisions:
“I was getting the ball out and was moving in the pocket a little bit and I thought they took a step forward.”
In looking at the stat sheet, he’s not wrong. The line, which is pegged as one of the worst in the NFL per Pro Football Focus, only ceded one sack the whole game to go along with five quarterback hits and four tackles for losses. However, the line was not able to create any running lanes for Najee Harris, who only averaged 2.3 yards per carry on 10 attempts before leaving with an injury.
When Might We See Kenny Pickett?
Throughout the game, Steeler Nation sounded off on their eagerness to see the shiny new toy, Pickett. The fact of the matter is if Trubisky and the offense can continue to grow, and if Trubisky plays turnover-free football, we may not see Pickett at all this year – and that’s not a bad thing. Tomlin made it clear that he’s not trying to force Pickett into game action that may set him up for failure.
If Trubisky can replicate his 2018 Pro Bowl season with the Chicago Bears in 2022, the offense will be in good shape.
“It was enough,” said Coach Tomlin regarding Trubisky’s play. In Sunday’s circumstances, “enough” got the job done.
How do you think Trubisky did on Sunday? Do you think he should remain the starting quarterback for the Steelers? Sound off in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
