It took every single second of overtime but the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled out a huge upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday to start the season 1-0. There’s a lot to unpack from this one so let’s go through the big takeaways.
The offense stinks
When your best running back is a wide receiver and your best wide receiver is a tight end, you know things are amiss. The Steelers offensive line played poorly but this doesn’t excuse the struggles of new starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky. He threw for 194 yards in five quarters on 21-for 38 passing. The one positive is Trubisky didn’t turn the football over.
A throwback to 2019
The entire game gave off serious 2019 vibes. After Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season, Pittsburgh limped to a .500 record thanks to dominant defense, great special teams and just enough offense not to look silly. No one wants to relive 2019.
The T.J. Watt injury
How is a win a loss? When it might cost you your best player. Linebacker T.J. Watt suffered what is reportedly a torn pec at the end of regulation. If this is the case and he has to have surgery, he could miss the bulk of the season if not all of it.
The Najee Harris injury
When we found out Najee Harris’ foot injury from the preseason was actually a Lisfranc injury we panicked a little. That’s not to say the foot injury he suffered on Sunday is related but would anyone be shocked if it was?
How long will Mitch Trubisky get?
I know there’s only been one game but with a talented rookie in Kenny Pickett sitting on the bench, how many poor efforts will Mitch Trubisky get before he gets the hook? Trubisky was probably lucky he played a game this poor on the road because if that effort happens in Pittsburgh, the crowd would be screaming for Pickett.
Defense lived up to the Black Air Force Ones
They weren’t prefect but in the first half they were as close as they could get. The defense ended up forcing five turnovers and sacking Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow seven times. The defense also help running back Joe Mixon to only 82 yards, 31 of those coming on a single run.
Jaylen Warren was the secret superstar
Rookie running back Jaylen Warren only rushed for seven yards on three carries. But on two of the Steelers biggest offensive plays, Warren was the guy out front throwing crushing lead blocks. Warren also did a nice job in pass protection and it’s clear he has studied the offense and understands his role.
