Pittsburgh and Cleveland will both be looking to bounce back from disappointing losses when they square off in an AFC North battle on Thursday night. The Steelers opened the season with an overtime win at Cincinnati before losing to New England at home last week. Cleveland had a chance to improve to 2-0, but it gave up two touchdowns in the final 1:30 of its game against the Jets.
Pittsburgh is in uncharted territory this season, playing without veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the first time in nearly 20 years. The Steelers were able to get off to a strong start to the post-Roethlisberger era when they survived several late scoring chances from Cincinnati and eventually notched a 23-20 win in overtime. They were not as fortunate in Week 2, as New England took the lead in the second quarter and never relinquished it in a 17-14 final. The Steelers have struggled to get the offense going with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback, as he has completed just 59.2% of his passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns.
Primetime football ??#PITvsCLE | @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/6apMTxEznh
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 20, 2022
The Steelers rank No. 30 in the NFL in yards per game (255.0) through the first two weeks of the season, sitting only ahead of Seattle and Chicago. Second-year running back Najee Harris has not looked as good as he did last year, rushing 25 times for 72 yards and no touchdowns, averaging less than three yards per carry. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson has been Trubisky’s top target, catching 13 passes for 112 yards. He is facing a Cleveland defense that has ranked in the middle of the pack so far, allowing 331.5 yards per game. Trubisky’s starting job could be on the line in this game, as rookie Kenny Pickett is waiting patiently for his opportunity.