The Pittsburgh Steelers delivered a nothing short of embarrassing performance in their second week of preseason play against the Buffalo Bills, which was somehow even worse than their lackluster performance in their first week of preseason play against the Houston Texans.
Not only did Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have their problems, the offensive line also failed to stick to its agreement. This was the biggest problem in a chaotic performance that resulted in just three points in the 9-3 loss to the Bills.
Shannon Sharpe, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and former tight end, is among the disgusted fans. Sharpe addressed the Steelers on the podcast “Nightcap,” which he hosts along with former NFL colleague Chad Johnson.
“The thing is, you see both of them throwing in practice. (Justin) Fields plays unbelievable, Russell (Wilson) throws great, and then when it comes to the game you think, ‘Damn, did you even practice? I mean, it was bad,'” Sharpe said.
“I’m not saying they’re going to be 2-15, but boy, they’ve got to improve on offense, man,” he added.
Wilson and Fields were under constant pressure, leading to checkdowns and less controllable third-down situations. The two signal-callers were sacked four times in total, and the Steelers’ offensive line was forced to give up 10 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
According to PFF, 2023 first-round pick and offensive tackle Broderick Jones was responsible for three of those pressures and two of those sacks. Considering he will be a starter, his performance was by far the most concerning.
It’s worth noting, however, that Jones is dealing with an elbow injury, which may have hampered him. Still, the Steelers could have a big problem if he doesn’t get healthy before Week 1.
The Steelers have one more practice game to work out the issues, taking on the Detroit Lions in Week 3 of preseason play on Saturday, August 24. After that, Pittsburgh will prepare for its regular season opener two weeks later on Sunday, September 8 against the Atlanta Falcons.
