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? At halftime of Saturday night’s game, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was presented with the PNC Bank Joe Greene Great Performance Award, given annually to the team’s rookie of the year as voted on by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
? To say the least, Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones had a rough performance in Saturday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. Jones got tossed aside like a rag doll by Greg Rousseau on one play that resulted in a Russell Wilson sack. Jones’ play in the preseason so far is certainly concerning, but he could be hindered by an elbow injury. Jones wore a large and heavy brace around his right elbow during training camp.
Broderick Jones. Oh no. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/X88G3Uq01p
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) August 17, 2024
? Warren Sharp of Sharp Football ripped Justin Fields for not handing the ball off on fourth-and-2 from the Bills’ 9-yard line. Fields kept the ball instead on the read-option and was tackled for a 7-yard loss.
Fields predetermined he was keeping this
4th & 2… likely a TD if he gives it to RB pic.twitter.com/MngSQTBxn7
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 18, 2024
? Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports predicts that the Steelers will go 6-11 this season.
“The quarterback concerns are pretty big in Pittsburgh,” Benjamin wrote. “The Steelers upgraded to Russell Wilson/Justin Fields, but Wilson hasn’t even been on the field during much of training camp. That throws things into severe flux at the position. Fields could be a fantasy darling, but I don’t know if his athletic style of quarterbacking will necessarily translate to a bunch of wins. The departure of Diontae Johnson means the Steelers are lacking on the wide receiver depth chart. George Pickens has unlimited upside with his skillset.
“After him, there was buzz about Van Jefferson as their WR2, although Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson have made some interesting noise in training camp. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are physical runners, and I tend to think an Arthur Smith offense is going to feature them heavily. I don’t expect this to be an explosive unit. Defensively, if the Steelers are the top-five unit they can be, this might end up looking like a foolish projection. Fifteen-plus games of T.J. Watt is an absolute must because of how this defense drops off when he’s out of the lineup.”
? Mike Tomlin said he was “largely satisfied with the work” that he saw from rookie center Zach Frazier in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
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