5 things we learned from Steelers moving to 2-0 with win at Broncos

Five things we learned from Steelers 13, Broncos 6:

1. Fields’ flight

Over an eight-day span with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Justin Fields accumulated 20% of the total number of victories he amassed over three seasons as the Chicago Bears starting quarterback.

Fields is expected to start Sunday’s home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, and if the Steelers win that one, it will give Fields a three-game winning streak as a starter for the first time. The No. 11 overall draft pick in 2021, Fields went 10-28 with Chicago.

But victories isn’t the only unprecedented “streak” Fields can attain with another satisfactory effort versus the Chargers. The past two games, Fields has no interceptions or lost fumbles. He never has gone three consecutive games with no giveaways. Sacked twice Sunday and twice during the Sept, 8 season-opening win in Atlanta, Fields already has made it through two games in a row having endured fewer than three sacks for the first time.

Fields posted respective game passer ratings of 91.9 and 97.3 the first two weeks. Only once with the Bears did he have three straight 91-plus rated outings.

For context, former Steelers starter Kenny Pickett had only three games with a 91.0 or better passer rating in his career.

2. Passing over

One passing touchdown through two games extends a recent trend of the Steelers’ dearth of aerial scores. Over the 36 regular-season games since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have 26 touchdown passes.

For perspective, Russell Wilson had 26 touchdown passes last season in only 15 games. And eight NFL quarterbacks had more TD passes than he did.

It has taken four Steelers quarterbacks to combine for their 26 touchdown passes between 2022-24. All Steelers wide receivers have combined for 16 TD receptions since 2022. To again add perspective, the Rams’ Cooper Kupp had 16 touchdown catches in 2021.

3. Two-and-whoa

For all the Steelers consistency — and well-publicized lack of losing seasons — over the first quarter of this century, a 2-0 start is rather rare. There had been only seven prior instances since 2000 that the Steelers won their first two games.

The good news for Steelers fans is they made the playoffs after each of those good starts. Only once since the turn of the century have the Steelers started 2-0 and gone on to win fewer than 11 games (they went 10-6 in Mike Tomlin’s first season, 2007). The Steelers won the division five of the prior six times they started 2-0 under Tomlin. They advanced to the Super Bowl in 2005, 2008 and 2010 and to the AFC championship in 2016 after starting 2-0. After starting 2-0 in 2007, 2017 and 2020, they ended with first-round playoff defeats.

Before this past week, only three times since 2000 had the Steelers won their first two road games of a season (2020, 2010 and in 2005 under Bill Cowher).

4. Snap judgments

For the second consecutive game, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Patrick Queen played every Steelers defensive snap. The trend of rookie linebacker Payton Wilson (barely) playing more snaps then veteran Elandon Roberts continued (the tally was 22-21 on Sunday).

On offense, Jaylen Warren was on the field more often the man ahead of him on the running backs depth chart, Najee Harris. Warren played 32 snaps to Harris’ 30.

During both games in 2024, Van Jefferson, curiously, played more than George Pickens. In Denver, the receivers’ snap counts went: Jefferson 54, Pickens 51, Calvin Austin III 30, Scotty Miller 14 and Ben Skowronek six.

5. Ode to Jimmy

The tackles were a major storyline over the past week. The center is an impressive rookie, and the steady veteran left guard is injured, replaced by an emerging youngster.

The Steelers’ offensive line has gotten plenty of attention and interest this season. But the one player no one seems to talk about might have been the best player on the unit through two weeks.

James Daniels — known to teammates as “Jimmy” — quietly opened his third season with the Steelers with two quality performances. Pro Football Focus grades aren’t everything, but Daniels was the Steelers’ highest-graded player against the Broncos. For the season, he is the NFL’s third-highest graded guard, the second-best against the run.

The Steelers’ tentative plan is to let Daniels walk as a free agent in the spring and replace him with a younger (cheaper) player. That might well happen, but Daniels is making a case to remain part of the franchise’s future.