The Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 season gets underway Friday night when they host the Houston Texans. With this being the Steelers’ first preseason game, they will be sitting several key players, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But with Arthur Smith now calling the plays, a new quarterback room, and a revamped offensive line, the Steelers offense will be a much bigger focus against Houston. Here are some of the key offensive storylines to keep an eye on Friday night.
Arthur Smith, Steelers Offense Take Spotlight in Preseason Week 1
Is There Really a Quarterback Battle?
Coming into training camp, the Steelers’ alleged quarterback battle wasn’t thought to be much of a battle at all. Russell Wilson was slated to be the starter, with Justin Fields set to sit behind and learn from the veteran. According to the Steelers initial depth chart, that is still the case. But, Wilson has missed some time at camp due to an injury and Fields has raised his stock with a strong showing.
Well, Fields will have a chance to keep raising his stock against Houston. Wilson is one of two offensive veterans (along with guard Isaac Seumalo) who will not play in the game. So, Fields will start at quarterback and presumably play a healthy number of snaps. The Steelers offense is expected to be much-improved this year. Of course (and look no further than the Steelers 2023 preseason), a strong showing from the offense in the preseason might not translate to the regular season.
But if Fields can put together a quality game, maybe he can continue to make a push for the starting job. It’s hard to definitively say where the quarterbacks stand until they both play in the same game.
All Eyes on the Rookie Offensive Linemen
When Pittsburgh spent their first two draft picks on offensive linemen, they did so expecting both players to be Week 1 starters. For now, Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier will play with the second-team offensive line. This is not a surprise, though; the Steelers are notorious for bringing their rookies along slowly. It will be most interesting to see if Fautanu enters the game at left tackle or right tackle; he is on the depth chart as LT2 but has played both spots at training camp.
The Steelers’ offense under Arthur Smith will run the ball at a high frequency. This should play to the strengths of both Fautanu and Fraizer; Fautanu is a freak athlete for a tackle, and Frazier is more polished in the running game so far. Fautanu has been a standout player at training camp, while Frazier has reportedly really picked it up after a slow start. Even though both guys are currently backups, both are expected to start when the regular season rolls around. A strong showing against Houston would be a good first step in turning that expectation into reality.
Who Will Step Up at Wide Receiver?
As they continue to engage in serious trade talks with the San Francisco 49ers regarding Brandon Aiyuk, it’s no secret the Steelers situation at wide receiver is less than ideal. They have George Pickens and a bunch of other guys who are, at best, average-level WR3s. Van Jefferson has had a pretty good camp and established himself as the WR2. But the Steelers offense won’t be very successful with a top receiver duo of Pickens and Jefferson.
At this point, it feels inevitable that Aiyuk will end up in Pittsburgh. If (or when) a trade materializes, they will have their (very good) wide receiver duo. Even though Arthur Smith will have them running the ball a lot, the Steelers offense will still need more than two quality receivers.
Jefferson needs to continue producing if he wants to be a key contributor following a trade for Aiyuk. Rookie Roman Wilson, who has been dealing with an injury, needs to step up and secure the starting slot receiver position. Don’t forget about Calvin Austin III, the speedster who has received high praise throughout training camp. All of these guys can earn the trust of Smith and Mike Tomlin with a strong showing against Houston.
Main Image: Barry Reeger – USA Today Sports
