The Pittsburgh Steelers will make their season debut on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants. There are high expectations in Pittsburgh this season. They return essentially their entire top-three defense from a season ago, and are far healthier on the offensive side of the ball. Ben Roethlisberger returns and with new weapons at his disposal. Heading into Week 1, there are some storylines to follow. They include Roethlisberger’s return, an injury to David DeCastro, and a few late additions to the team.
Pittsburgh Steelers Week 1 Storylines, Including David DeCastro
David DeCastro Will Not Play
It was reported that David DeCastro will not be playing in Week 1 due to a leg injury he has been dealing with. DeCastro has been a staple on the team’s offensive line since being a first round pick in 2012. He has earned three All-Pro nods and five Pro Bowl selections along the way. But against the Giants, DeCastro’s absence will be one to watch. Due to Ramon Foster‘s retirement in the off-season, the team will kick of 2020 with a new starter at each guard position. The chemistry of the unit in Week 1 won’t be what it has been in recent years, when four of the five starters were the same for 4.5 seasons.
Stefen Wisniewski, the free agent that Pittsburgh signed this past off-season, will likely be the fill-in for DeCastro at right guard. The signing of Wisniewski was an important move to bolster the team’s interior offensive line depth. It will pay dividends already in Week 1. Replacing Foster at left guard will be Matt Feiler, who started at right tackle for the past 1.5 seasons. The new starting right tackle will be Zach Banner. Clearly, there are a lot of moving pieces on the Steelers offensive. DeCastro’s absence means only two starters (Alejandro Villanueva and Maurkice Pouncey) will be repeat starters from the 2019 season. Hopefully DeCastro’s injury is only minor, as his return will help the unit return to normalcy.
Ben Roethlisberger’s Long-Awaited Return
Last year, the Steelers squandered away one of the best defenses in the NFL with the worst quarterback play in the league. Unless something really goes wrong with Roethlisberger’s return, that won’t be the case in 2020. The future Hall of Fame quarterback’s season ended after two games in 2019 thanks to an elbow injury. Following surgery, Roethlisberger seems to be in great shape and by all reports, had a great training camp. There were no reports of any apparent lingering affects from surgery on Roethlisberger’s arm strength or accuracy.
Roethlisberger could have a poor game Monday night and it might not matter. The Steelers defense should be enough to carry the team to victory over a poor Giants team. But that’s not why this is a storyline. It’s not about this one game, but the entire season. If Roethlisberger comes back and looks like his old self in week 1, then the Steelers expectations for the season will skyrocket. On the flip side, if “Big Ben” seems like he hasn’t or won’t fully recover from his injury, then the Steelers playoffs hopes could take a hit. It’s just one game, but Roethlisberger’s performance (or at least his physical capabilities) should give a good idea of what to expect from him as the season goes on.
Familiar Faces Back in the ‘Burgh
Two players were signed by the Steelers following the roster cutdowns to 53. The first and most noteworthy is punter Dustin Colquitt. Pittsburgh moved on from Jordan Berry, whose 2019 season wasn’t terrible but featured too many blunders and letdowns. Colquitt has never played for the Steelers, but his father Craig Colquitt was a two-time Super Bowl champion punter with the team in the late 1970s. After spending the first 15 seasons of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, Colquitt will spend the year with Pittsburgh and hopefully fix the inconsistencies that Berry plagued the team with.
The other familiar face is Sean Davis, the Steelers second round draft pick in 2016. He spent the first four years of his career in Pittsburgh. After some ups and downs, he signed with the Washington Football Team this past offseason, but was released due to roster cutdowns. Now, he’s back in Pittsburgh like he never left. Early in his career, Davis was a fine safety, albeit he was nothing special. In 2020, his role will be different. Rather than being a full-time player, Davis will serve as the primary backup at each safety position and contribute on special teams. With his knowledge of the Steelers defensive system, Davis will be a nice depth piece to have.
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