It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
- Report: Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey, LB Roquan Smith to miss multiple weeks (Baltimore Beatdown)
- Browns could be good, the fixes are not that difficult but hard to come by (Dawgs by Nature)
- Recap: Bengals fall flat in 28-3 loss to Broncos (Cincy Jungle)
(No opponent section this week — enjoy the bye!)
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
No complaint filed in Dublin incident involving Steelers’ Thompson
(From the Associated Press): DUBLIN — Irish police say that no formal complaint has been filed regarding an early-morning incident in Dublin involving Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Skylar Thompson and that they haven’t established whether there was a robbery.
An update
on the Steelers’ Skylar Thompson reportedly being robbed in Ireland. It appears the situation isn’t crystal clear.
Vikings say Croke Park clock problem was costly in loss to Steelers
(From the Associated Press’ Ken Maguire): Minnesota took a delay of game penalty with 14 seconds left, creating fourth-and-17 from the Vikings 32. Wentz then threw an incomplete pass and the comeback fell short in a 24-21 loss to Pittsburgh in Ireland’s first regular-season NFL game.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell wasn’t happy.
“It was a unique thing about coming to play here and then you find out about three minutes before the kickoff that that end zone’s game clock and play clock would be turned off for the day,” O’Connell said.
Cue the sore loser jokes, but O’Connell’s complaints do raise questions about just how well the NFL works in stadiums not specifically built for football.
The numbers do not lie
(From Steelers.com’s Mike Prisuta): The Steelers rushed a season-high 29 times for a season-high 131 yards in last Sunday’s 24-21 win over Minnesota in Dublin. They also averaged a season-high 4.5 yards per carry and scored two rushing touchdowns, after having managed just one of those over the season’s first three weeks.
According to the stat sheet and the eye test, the offensive line played its best game to date.
“Yes, we did,” offensive line coach Pat Meyer confirmed.
But it wasn’t just the offensive line, Meyer emphasized.
“Obviously, it’s a collective group,” he continued. “It’s everything. It’s the line, the backs, the tight ends, the wideouts.
Meyer makes a good point that the Steelers’ run game success wasn’t just about the offensive line. It was an improved game for them, but it was also Kenneth Gainwell’s best performance of the year by far. The same could be said of Kaleb Johnson. Darnell Washington played a huge role in the blocking game, as did wide receiver Ben Skowronek. When the run game goes off, usually it’s because all 11 did their job.
It’s Roman Wilson Time for Steelers
(From SI’s Noah Strackbein): No one truly knows if it’ll workout or if Wilson will play well when given an opportunity. There have been times this summer where he’s looked like a star in the making. There have been other times when he’s looked like a player who was going to spend most of his time on the bench. He’s done just that throughout the first four games.
But of all the players on the roster, Wilson is the only one the Steelers don’t know what the future holds. He’s still considered a player who can turn into a starter in the league, and holds more potential than his playing time alludes.
If Calvin Austin III does indeed miss some time, Scotty Miller seems like the most one-to-one replacement. But second-year wideout Roman Wilson has been waiting for a real opportunity ever since he missed his rookie season due to injury. It might finally be time for the 2024 third-rounder to show he has what it takes.
Steelers’ Spencer Anderson jokes about Darnell Washington’s transition to offensive line
(From Steelers Wire’s Andrew Vasquez): “[Washington] was joking, he said, ‘You might need to come to individuals with the tight ends,'” Anderson told reporters. “And I’m like, ‘No, you just need to come with us.’ Because he’s essentially one of us.”
Washington had a great game on Sunday against the Vikings, and it appears he’s earned the respect of his teammates on the offensive line.
Could Darnell Washington play offensive tackle someday?
Listed at 6’7, 264 pounds on the Steelers’ website, Washington almost certainly weighs closer to 300. He’s a mountain of a man (thus the Mount Washington nickname), and certainly has the athleticism and frame to make the switch to offensive line down the road.
The idea has been floated by former NFL names. Even Washington himself has said he might be open to the change in later seasons.
And the Steelers have even had success converting players to the O-line in the past — Alejandro Villanueva had a long NFL journey that included tight end and defensive end before settling in as Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side protector.
But Washington simply offers too much value to the Steelers right now as a tight end to even consider the switch, especially considering Pittsburgh is working on the development of two first-round offensive tackles in the present.
And while he’s a good blocker right now, Washington would still have a lot to learn and plenty of growing pains if he made the change to the offensive line. Years down the road, I don’t think it’s a ridiculous idea to consider. But right now, Darnell Washington should remain a high-end blocking tight end for the Steelers.
Could offensive tackle be in Darnell Washington’s future? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
