The Pittsburgh Steelers head into Thursday night with one obvious problem staring them in the face: a secondary that may be stretched thin, and a rookie receiver in Denzel Boston who has already shown he can punish that kind of weakness.
Boston has wasted no time making noise for Cleveland. Through three games, he leads rookie receivers in receiving yards with 195, yards per catch at 21.7, and receiving yards per game.
He’s done it without putting a ball on the turf, and that production stands out even with Deshaun Watson putting together an uneven start. Watson is 24th in passing yards with 587 and 15th in QBR at 62.3, but Boston has clearly been the one maximizing the opportunities in front of him.
That’s what makes this matchup such a concern for Pittsburgh. Nickel cornerback Jalen Ramsey is listed as limited with a right wrist injury, and Joey Porter Jr. is now gone to Dallas in a major trade. If Ramsey can’t go, or isn’t close to full strength, Boston will be looking at a defense that could already be short on answers.
The Steelers just saw what happens when coverage breaks down. Joe Burrow threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns against Patrick Graham’s defense last week, while Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for 15 catches and more than 180 receiving yards with Ramsey on the field.
That wasn’t a one-man problem, either. It was a sign of how quickly the unit can get exposed when the back end starts to wobble.
Boston may not be operating with the same chemistry Burrow had with Chase and Higgins, and Watson and the rookie are still building their connection. But that doesn’t make the threat any smaller. If Pittsburgh doesn’t adjust, Boston has the skill set and the early-season form to take advantage.
The Steelers may need help from players deeper on the depth chart to get through it. Asante Samuel Jr. has already logged meaningful snaps this season despite recent struggles, and he’s one of the names to watch if Pittsburgh has to lean on him again. Last week, he gave up five catches on five targets against Higgins and Chase, and those plays turned into two touchdowns and a 157.1 passer rating allowed.
Daylen Everette could also see more time if Ramsey or Brandin Echols, who is in concussion protocol, can’t play Thursday night.
For Pittsburgh, the bigger picture is simple: another divisional win would be a strong result. But that only happens if the Steelers keep Denzel Boston from turning a shaky secondary into a full-blown problem.
In Other News...
Steelers Finally Moved On From Joey Porter Jr For A Reason
Joey Porter Jr. is officially on the move, and the Steelers turned the page by dealing the cornerback to the Cowboys for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder. For Pittsburgh, it was a striking end to a run that never really got back on track once Porter was sidelined in 2026, when a back injury and conditioning issues kept him out of game action all season.
Dallas is taking a measured approach with the former Steeler, and there is no immediate plan to extend his contract before seeing how he performs in a new setting. For Pittsburgh, the trade brings back future draft capital and closes the book on a player whose recent absence had become as much a part of the story as his talent. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Coach Just Added Fuel To Steelers' Latest AFC North Grudge Match
Todd Monken has been around the AFC North long enough to know how quickly a passing comment can sharpen a rivalry, and his latest one did exactly that. The Browns head coach, who has seen the Steelers from both Cleveland and Baltimore, took a shot at Pittsburghs veteran defensive core by suggesting it might be time for players like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward to retire, a remark that lands with extra weight given how many bruising games those names have already created in this division.
For the Steelers, it is the kind of chatter that usually gets remembered long after the pregame noise fades. Watt and Heyward have been central figures in Pittsburghs identity for years, and Monkens familiarity with them only adds another layer to what is already set up as another hard-edged meeting between the Browns and Steelers, with the usual AFC North tension waiting for the first hit to bring it to the surface. [Read more 🡒]
LeVeon Bell Just Turned A Steelers Move Into A Bigger Debate
The Steelers decision to move on from Joey Porter Jr. has already sparked plenty of discussion, but the conversation widened quickly once LeVeon Bell weighed in on social media. Pittsburgh sent the cornerback to Dallas for future draft picks after a contract dispute and a back injury kept him from playing this season, a transaction that would have been debated on its own even before Bell added his criticism.
Bells comments pushed the story beyond football and into a much more familiar kind of scrutiny around the franchise. He alleged unequal treatment of black and white players, a charge that lands differently in light of the Steelers recent extensions for Cam Heyward, Jalen Ramsey and DK Metcalf, and it leaves the team facing a broader question about how this latest move is being interpreted around the league. [Read more 🡒]