The Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to the Mile High City and secured their second win of the 2024 season, defeating the Denver Broncos 13-6. While the game was low-scoring, the Steelers' offense showed promise, especially in the first quarter. On their second drive, Pittsburgh put together a 12-play, 78-yard touchdown march, a masterfully executed possession that drained the clock and displayed the offense's potential.
However, things took a turn on the Steelers' third drive when rookie right tackle Troy Fautanu was replaced by Broderick Jones. Leading up to the game, much of the conversation revolved around the decision to start Fautanu and Dan Moore Jr. over Jones, but the Steelers still aimed to get their highly-touted tackle some snaps. Unfortunately, Jones struggled to capitalize on the opportunity.
During that drive, Jones was flagged for three penalties: a false start and two holding calls. One of those holding penalties wiped out a 51-yard connection between Justin Fields and George Pickens, a beautiful play that could have swung momentum in Pittsburgh's favor.
Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger weighed in on Jones' rough outing against Denver, offering the young tackle some candid advice.
"I know he’s going to be frustrated. I think the best thing for Broderick right now is to just sweep it under the rug. Let’s watch it and figure out why it happened. Was it technique? Did the guy just beat you?"
Roethlisberger stressed the importance of learning from mistakes, urging Jones to study the tape, correct his technique, and not dwell on his errors, as doing so would only stall his progress.
Having experienced numerous big plays erased by penalties during his own career, Roethlisberger knows these setbacks are part of the game and can only be minimized, not avoided entirely. He believes it’s straightforward for Jones to put this rough game behind him—by focusing on film study and learning from the experience, Jones can move forward and improve.
"Sometimes those things just happen... He needs to go back and watch it, figure it out, check the technique, check what it was. Get it checked off and put it behind him. If you sit and dwell on it—and I don't know what coach is going to do moving forward—but if you dwell on it, it'll just build up... He's gotta be ready to step up and be the dude."
It was a rough outing for Jones, a player fighting to hold onto his starting spot. The penalties did him no favors, although some holding calls can be out of a player’s control. Holding happens frequently and often goes uncalled, leaving room for debate—sometimes it's even a case of a player flopping. While officials may occasionally make a mistake with holding calls, getting two holding penalties on the same drive, combined with a false start (which is entirely within Jones' control), was the bigger issue.
To make matters worse, the offense stalled after that penalty-laden drive. The second half saw a steep decline in performance, reigniting concerns reminiscent of the Steelers' struggles in 2023. Roethlisberger's advice to Jones was clear and simple: learn from the game and move forward.
Steelers' Broderick Jones Didn't Think He Should Be Playing Against Denver
Jones, a talented young player, has been dealing with a lingering right arm injury that has clearly impacted his performance. Steelers fans are hoping that when Jones gets another opportunity, he’ll show significant improvement. After the game, Jones candidly told the media that if he’s not starting, he doesn’t feel he should be playing—comments that, while perhaps ill-advised, underscore the problems that can arise when you rotate tackles.
The coaching staff's decision to insert Jones on that third drive was questionable in hindsight, as they likely realized it was a mistake. Fortunately, despite the adversity, the Steelers managed to rally and secure the victory. Jones saw his stock hit an all-time low in the game against Denver. He will fight to improve his play and limit mistakes whenever he gets another chance.
