Pittsburgh Steelers win on the road
The 2022 NFL regular season hasn’t gone exactly the way the Pittsburgh Steelers or their fans would have liked, but they always knew it would be a struggle to compete in the first season of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Despite the issues they’ve had so far though, they have looked impressive at times. The Steelers just have not been consistent enough to really make a run at a potential playoff spot.
On Sunday, they showed what they are capable of when they are at their best by knocking off the Carolina Panthers on the road at Bank of American Stadium. While the victory only improves their record to 6-8, it is still an important one in the team’s development.
Pittsburgh was forced to start Mitch Trubisky at quarterback over Kenny Pickett, as the rookie had been ruled out with a concussion. Trubisky lost the starter’s job to Pickett earlier in the season and was eager to prove that he can be a starter in the NFL. He threw for a total of 179 yards and ran for a touchdown, helping his side pick up the 24-16 win.
“I know what I can do in this league,” Trubisky said following the victory, via ESPN. “It feels good to be able to get this opportunity and come through and to have my teammates trust in me.”
Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin was also impressed with his quarterback’s performance against the Panthers on Sunday.
“He managed (the game) well,” Tomlin said. “I thought he kept the ball off the ground. He played clean and had a high completion percentage. But it’s easier to do those things when you’re playing behind an effective run game.”
Trubisky was originally drafted second overall in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears but couldn’t prove that he should be the team’s franchise quarterback. He eventually signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2021, before arriving in Pittsburgh in March 2022. He signed with the Steelers hoping to solidify a starting quarterback spot but has been unable to hold off Pickett from taking the reigns.
Sunday’s loss really hurts the Panthers who still have hopes of sneaking into the postseason. Even with a 5-9 record, Carolina still has a chance of reaching the playoffs and winning the NFC South if they manage to win their remaining three games against the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.
However, Panthers’ interim head coach Steve Wilks isn’t having any of the playoff discussion yet, as he continues to try and keep his team focused on the task at hand.
“We’ve got to worry about trying to get ourselves right to win a football game,” Wilks said. “I don’t want anybody in this building talking playoffs.”
Despite their disappointing record, Pittsburgh has managed to win three of their last four games as they continue to build toward the future. The Steelers now get set to host the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas eve in the prime-time contest at Acrisure Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 pm on December 24th.
