Following Pittsburgh's 34-22 win over the Colts, here are three things I think and three things I know ahead of the Steelers' battle against the Buccaneers.
I THINK Jaylen Warren is playing as well as any running back in the league.
His 5.9 yards per carry are second among all NFL running backs, behind only Kenneth Walker. Warren’s 230 receiving yards also rank No. 2 behind only Jahmyr Gibbs among RBs. Good luck finding another back creating more splash than Warren right now — both on the ground and through the air.
I THINK Kaden Wetjen was a terrible draft pick.
It’s easy to say this in hindsight, but man, a fourth-round pick who has been mediocre at best in the return game and does literally nothing on offense is textbook for being an awful return on your investment. Let alone the fact that he’s taking up a roster spot to, again, do literally nothing on offense. If he was an UDFA, alright, maybe I can look past his offensive deficiencies. But you wasted a fourth-round pick for this?
I THINK Aaron Rodgers is playing with fire in the pocket.
Aaron’s escapability against the Colts was great. But can a 42-year-old consistently evade pressure that way game in and game out? That’s dicey. He’s not as mobile as he once was, and if he’s not careful, he’s going to be walking into sack after sack against better defenses.
I KNOW the Steelers need to clean up these home and away issues.
3-0 in Pittsburgh. 0-2 in away games. What else needs to be said? It’s clear that, for whatever reason, the Steelers are playing better at home than they are away. This week at Tampa Bay, that must change. Create your own energy.
I KNOW Germie Bernard has to step up.
With Michael Pittman and Roman Wilson both out of the picture due to injuries, Bernard simply has to be WR2. Against the Colts, the Alabama rookie checked many boxes, but he must keep his foot on the gas. Rookies can be fickle. It’d be fair to have full faith in Bernard after what he’s put on tape, but he has to stay in attack mode. It seems like Aaron Rodgers is gaining trust in Bernard — let’s keep that arrow pointing up.
I KNOW the Steelers can make a playoff push.
After losing to the Browns, it was absolutely fair to say this could end up being a 6- or 7-win team. But the victories have been convincing. The win over Atlanta looks better now than it did in Week 1, Cincinnati should be a contender so long as Joe Burrow stays healthy and with Indianapolis, there is no need to apologize for winning by double digits in the NFL. The Steelers can definitely hang with the NFL’s quality teams.