The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an excellent start to the season and are currently 6-2. It was always clear that the first eight games would be easier as they have all of their divisional games and a few other challenging opponents in the final nine contests. That gauntlet kicks off with the upcoming Week 10 game against the Washington Commanders.
It indicates how much things can change week to week in the NFL. When the schedules were first announced, the Steelers were said to have the toughest second half of the season. However, they weren't all that worried about the Commanders. After all, the Commanders tend to fall apart and play inconsistently. But not this year. New Head Coach Dan Quinn has them heading in the right direction, and first-year quarterback Jayden Daniels is already in talks as the odds-on favorite for the NFL Rookie of the Year Award.
Daniels has helped the Commanders get to 7-2 so far this season by killing opponents on the ground and in the air. He has been compared to a young Lamar Jackson. Recently, Steelers edge rushing phenom, T.J. Watt spoke to the media after their practice. He said quarterbacks are just getting so mobile that it is really tough to stop them. He said that the Steelers are lucky to have two secret weapons on their side, quarterbacks Justin Fields and Kyle Allen.
"Justin has done an unbelievable job all week of giving us a good look, and so has Kyle as well," said Watt. "So I feel like they prepare us as well as we can for a mobile quarterback."
The linebacker room is getting a boost against the Commanders as well, which they really need. The Steelers made a trade for Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers earlier this week. After dealing with injuries to Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, they knew they needed another outstanding veteran player there to help out.
It wasn't just the linebackers singing Fields' and Allen's praises; cornerback Donte Jackson said the same thing in his interview. Jackson is in his first season with the Steelers after spending the first six years of his career with the Carolina Panthers.
"It helps a lot," said Jackson. "Not everybody, not every team, gets to simulate that type of style at practice. You can't take it for granted when you have a guy like that, and Justin has been outstanding, asking questions like, 'How does he do it like this? How did he do it like that? Was that accurate?' So he's been just the utmost great professional in that standpoint. It's a plus when you have guys in the building that can replicate that type of athleticism at the quarterback position."
Fields' future with the Steelers is uncertain. He and Russell Wilson will both be free agents at the end of the season. He performed well at the beginning of the year, and it seems likely that a team will want to sign him. It is also hard to imagine the Steelers moving off Wilson if he continues to perform as well as he has.
Steelers Got Some Good News
The Steelers will have their hands full with the Commanders' offense, but they did get some good news on the defensive front. The Commanders' most recent trade acquisition, Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints will be out on Sunday. Lattimore has been recovering from a hamstring injury and isn't quite ready to return to the field yet.
The Commanders have struggled on defense. They haven't had the personnel to stop the run, and even their passing defense has been spotty. Lattimore will give them a big boost when he returns. This should be good for Najee Harris however, who has been steadily improving each week this season, gaining more than 100 yards in each of his last three games.
