Week 1 didn’t just give the AFC North its first set of results. It also gave the Steelers a very clear problem to stare at.
Pittsburgh opened the season 1-0, but the rest of the division came out of Sunday looking stronger than expected - especially Baltimore. The Ravens, now under head coach Jesse Minter, made a statement on the road, and that’s the part that should have Steelers fans paying close attention.
The division picture is already starting to take shape. The Browns are buried at the bottom after a rough opener, while the Steelers, Bengals, and Ravens all sit at 1-0. But not all 1-0 starts are created equal, and that’s where the trouble begins for Pittsburgh.
- Cleveland Browns (0-1)
There wasn’t much mystery here. Cleveland went to Jacksonville as a big underdog and got treated like one. The Browns were down 31-0 before Andre Szmyt finally got them on the board with a field goal halfway through the third quarter.
Deshaun Watson finished with 205 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception, though most of that production came after the game had long since slipped away. He was also sacked five times and posted a QBR of 34.2 in Week 1.
Todd Monken’s first game as head coach didn’t produce any real offensive spark, and the defense had no answer for Trevor Lawrence either. For now, Cleveland looks stuck in its own tier at the bottom of the AFC North.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
The Steelers got the win, but the performance didn’t exactly scream confidence. Their game against the Falcons stayed tight until the fourth quarter, even though Atlanta was missing its top two edge rushers and top two quarterbacks.
DK Metcalf had two drops he’d like back, and Aaron Rodgers struggled to connect deep with his targets. The defense was better, with T.J. Watt doing his usual damage, but Pittsburgh still had trouble containing Bijan Robinson, the one player they knew was going to be featured heavily.
This looked like a team that was still shaking off the rust. Pittsburgh escaped with a victory, but it also caught a break by not opening against a tougher opponent.
- Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
Cincinnati’s opener came with its own messiness, but the result still counts. The Bengals beat the Buccaneers despite four lost fumbles from Tampa Bay, including three by Baker Mayfield. Without those giveaways, the Buccaneers probably walk out of Cincinnati with the win.
That said, the Bengals did what they needed to do. They scored 33 points and forced four takeaways, which is about as good as they could have hoped for given their usual early-season issues.
Joe Burrow was solid rather than spectacular, and the offense never really hit another gear. But the defensive additions already look useful, and that’s a good sign for a team that still found a way to win while playing sloppily.
- Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Baltimore was the team that made the loudest noise in Week 1. On the road against the Colts, the Ravens looked sharp on both sides of the ball and played like a group that had already found its rhythm.
Lamar Jackson carved up Indianapolis for 324 passing yards on only 25 attempts, a massive 13.0 yards per throw. ESPN stats credited him with an 82.8 QBR and a 124.2 passer rating. Derrick Henry was just as punishing, running for 144 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.
Declan Doyle, Minter’s new offensive coordinator and Ben Johnson’s former understudy in Chicago, also came away looking like a strong hire. Baltimore’s defense did its part too, holding Daniel Jones to 166 passing yards on 31 attempts, 5.4 yards per attempt, and a 28.7 QBR.
The Ravens looked refreshed, explosive, and complete in their opener. If Week 1 is any indication, they’re the team sitting on top of the AFC North right now - and the Steelers have every reason to worry about that.
In Other News...
Steelers New Look Still Leaves One Big Problem To Solve
The Steelers came out of their latest game looking different on both sides of the ball, and not just in the usual early-season, we-need-to-see-more way. Aaron Rodgers was more willing to test defenses downfield, while the front seven kept rotating T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith in ways that suggested a more flexible pass-rush approach than in years past. Pittsburgh also mixed in plenty of two-tight-end looks, and the snap counts for Germie Bernard and Roman Wilson offered another small reminder that this offense is still sorting out who fits where.
Even with the changes, the game still kept circling back to the same old frustration: missed chances. Drops and inaccurate throws broke up drives that had enough going for them to matter, which is why the new look feels promising without yet feeling complete. The Steelers have shown they can create different answers schematically, but until the passing game cleans up the finishing work, the biggest question on the roster is still waiting for a real solution. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Suddenly Have Real Reason To Worry About Joey Porter Jr
For a Steelers team that has tried to build its identity around young, physical defense, Joey Porter Jr. suddenly finding his name in trade chatter is the kind of development that lands hard. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport pointed to the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions as possible destinations for the cornerback, with Pittsburgh still working through a contract dispute that has added another layer of uncertainty around one of its most important young defenders.
The Lions have reportedly shown interest, while the Chiefs are searching for help at cornerback after injuries and trades thinned that room. Any move would still have to clear a complicated path, though, with Porters contract demands and Kansas Citys salary cap situation making a deal far from simple. For now, it is less about where Porter might go than the fact that the Steelers have reached the point where such a conversation is even happening. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Week 1 Usage Raised Some Early Lineup Questions
Week 1 gave the Steelers an early look at how this defense and offense may be leaning under their current personnel mix, and the snap counts were hard to miss. T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward were on the field less than fans have grown used to seeing, while Jalen Ramsey and Payton Wilson barely came off it. On offense, rookie Germie Bernard had a limited role, but Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington were both featured heavily as Pittsburgh worked through its first game plan of the season.
The usage patterns do not settle many questions so much as they open them up. Reduced workloads for Watt and Heyward can be explained plenty of ways in a season opener, but they still stand out when paired with the near every-snap roles for Ramsey and Wilson and the tight end-heavy approach on offense. For a team trying to sort out its weekly identity early, the first-round of snap counts offered a clearer view of who the Steelers trust right away and a few more spots where the rotation still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]