Steelers vs. Broncos Biggest Takeaways
The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to continue their winning streak again in Week Two against the Denver Broncos, winning 13-6 at Mile High Stadium. The Steelers’ defense reasserted their dominance and again acted as a contributing factor to the team’s victory. The game also made it clear that Bo Nix, the Broncos’ quarterback, is a rookie with room for improvement. Though Nix certainly made strides after his Week One performance, two of his passes were intercepted, and he was sacked twice. The interceptions are similar to the ones he threw in previous weeks, with the rookie forcing the pass, making it an easy ball for the offense to pick off. The repetitive nature of his mistakes, along with his poor pass accuracy, have raised questions about his position as the starting quarterback for the Broncos.
Even if Nix was having a spectacular game, the Denver Broncos likely would not have prevailed because the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense was at the top of their game for the second week in a row. The squad was able to shut out any chance of the Broncos scoring a touchdown, with Cory Trice Jr., intercepting one of Denver’s final chances to remain competitive. In their Week One match against the Atlanta Falcons, the Steelers only let up one touchdown, and the game in Colorado reaffirmed the defense’s strength. However, even with this strength, the Steelers continue to struggle with their penalties. Broderick Jones gave up three alone, contributing to the total of 10 the team had. Van Jefferson gave up an offensive pass interference on a play that would have otherwise been a touchdown. In total, the ten penalties contributed to the loss of 78 yards.
Though it was the Pittsburgh Steelers defense that clinched the victory over the Denver Broncos, the offensive team, led by quarterback Justin Fields, put on an impressive performance in their first half. Fields was able to pull off another standout game, trying to prove that he should prevail over Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback. The quarterback ended the game, completing 10 of his 12 passes, totaling 102 yards. Fields also accumulated 26 yards on the ground, a far cry from what the Steelers were used to under former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. Though the offense had a phenomenal first half, they struggled in the third and fourth quarters, possessing the ball just seven times. Of these seven times, three of them were over in three plays, with the Steelers having to punt on the fourth. The team is certainly looking to avoid the same problem in Week Three, where they take on the Chargers on their home turf.
