CINCINNATI -- When the Steelers and Bengals kick off at 1:02 p.m. Sunday afternoon along the Ohio River at Paycor Stadium, the Mitch Trubisky era in Pittsburgh will officially begin.
Of course, that's already been made official this week when Mike Tomlin confirmed what'd been common knowledge for those who were paying attention to what was happening for the past few months.
After he signed a two-year, $14.825 million contract in the offseason, Trubisky took virtually every first-team rep. He always started the rotation in individual drills. He was the starter in all three preseason games. He was the guy talking to the media at the podium after games, even if he played the least amount of time.
Trubisky has been the No. 1 quarterback all along, even if there were some that didn't want to see it.
"I had a really good camp," Trubisky said earlier this week. "I came in here with a lot of experience, showed I could lead a team, showed I’ve been playing really well and throwing the football really well. Now we go out there and execute on the field."
There is a sizable portion of the fan base that would rather see Kenny Pickett under center in Cincinnati instead of Trubisky. After all, the Steelers did select Pickett in the first round of this year's NFL Draft.
The last time the Steelers took a quarterback in the first round? That was Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, and he took over the starting job in his rookie season and didn't relinquish it until after an 18-year career that is bound to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But, who remembers the list of quarterbacks between Terry Bradshaw and Roethlisberger?
Cliff Stoudt. Mark Malone. David Woodley. Bubby Brister. Neil O'Donnell. Mike Tomczak. Kordell Stewart. Tommy Maddox.
You can also throw in Scott Campbell, Steve Bono, Todd Blackledge, Jim Miller and Kent Graham for guys who earned starts during that time as well.
Over a span of 21 years, that group of quarterbacks went to the playoffs a combined 11 times, went 9-11 in 20 playoff games, went 1-3 in four AFC championship games and lost their only Super Bowl appearance to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX.
For those of us who remember the great defenses in the 1990s and early 2000s that were never rewarded with a Lombardi Trophy, we remember how the quarterback play seemed to get in the way more often than not.
In Stewart's two trips to the AFC championship game as the lead signal caller (1997, 2001), he combined for one touchdown and six interceptions. And who could forget the lasting memory of O'Donnell throwing two interceptions to Larry Brown, making him a Super Bowl MVP.
Now that Roethlisberger is retired, the Steelers are in a place they haven't been since 2003. Facebook wasn't yet invented. Neither were iPhones. Those who can drink legally this year? They turned two years old.
Uncertainty at the quarterback position is an uncomfortable place to be for any NFL team, especially in today's game that relies so much on throwing the football. In fact, if a team doesn't have a franchise quarterback, chances are they won't be making any deep playoff runs.
What left some perplexed about Trubisky was Pittsburgh bringing in a guy who spent the 2021 season serving as Josh Allen's backup in Buffalo. The goal for a franchise as storied as the Steelers is to compete for Super Bowls. Signing a quarterback that wasn't even a starter last year has created a circle of doubters.
Trubisky signing on with Pittsburgh is a chance for him to prove those people wrong.
"I mean, you’re always trying to do that," Trubisky said. "There’s always going to be doubters and you’re always trying to believe in yourself, your teammates and people in your supporting cast who believe in you."
But what the Steelers did by bringing in Trubisky was make sure there was some level of certainty. It wasn't the sexy replacement. As Dale Lolley pointed out earlier this week, Trubisky was held to a very high expectation since he was drafted ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
But, even with a less-than-stellar roster, Trubisky was able to find some success during his four years in Chicago.
"He’s a guy that came to us with franchise quarterback experience," Tomlin said Tuesday. "He’s comfortable in those shoes. He’s been the focal point of a football team and an organization before, and he’s had success in doing so. Like I mentioned when we acquired him, he took the Bears to the playoffs two out of four years, and he has a winning record as a starting quarterback. Those things were attractive to us."
For those who want Pickett as the guy, don't worry. His time is coming, one way or another. It may not even be this season. But the Steelers wouldn't have made him the franchise's very first draft pick after Roethlisberger retired if they didn't feel he had a future as the starting quarterback of the Steelers.
Remember, Roethlisberger wasn't even the guy in Week 1 of his rookie season. Only an injury to Maddox thrust him into the starting role, and his play helped secure that spot for a long, long time.
Some of the game's best quarterbacks, including Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, sat behind someone else before getting their chance. Giving Pickett a helmet and easing him into the job is undoubtedly the best approach, even with all of his college experience.
Trubisky is better equipped to handle everything that comes with being the starting quarterback in Week 1 of the NFL season. And the Steelers have a tough matchup right away: Facing the defending AFC champion Bengals on the road.
Not only will the Steelers' defense have their hands full with Joe Burrow and the high-powered Bengals offense, Trubisky will have the tall task of trying to score on a Cincinnati defense that allowed only 10 points in each of the teams' two meetings in 2021.
There are exciting talents on the Steelers' offense, including Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth, but there are also serious questions about how well the offensive line can give that talent time and space to live up to their potential.
Having Trubisky as the starter gives the Steelers a mix of experience and talent at a position that is the ultimate difference maker. Trubisky's skill set -- his ability to move around and even tuck and run every now and then -- gives Matt Canada a chance to do more with his playbook than he was able to do a season ago.
"I think Mitch’s mobility helps enhance our offense because of what he can do," Canada said Thursday. "I think that falls back on our staff doing a good job putting guys in position to make plays and that’s what we’re excited about."
The Steelers may be very fruitful in how this all plays out. If Trubisky plays well during his tenure in Pittsburgh and Pickett turns into the franchise quarterback they hope he can be, it would obviously be the best-case scenario.
And whether Tomlin did it knowingly or not, having the quarterbacks in their respective spots already puts the Steelers in a good position to hopefully avoid another 21 years before the next franchise quarterback takes his place in Pittsburgh.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers vs. Bengals
• What: Regular-season opener
• When: Sunday, 1:02 p.m.
• Where: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati
• Weather at kick: 77°, 88% chance rain, 8-mph wind
• TV: KDKA-TV, CBS (national)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: Sirius XM 383, online 826
• Boxscore: DKPS
• Team media guides: Steelers | Bengals
• Official game notes: Steelers | Bengals
THE INJURY REPORT
Official through the Friday practices:
• Steelers: WR Diontae Johnson (shoulder), LB Marcus Allen (hamstring), OT Chukwuma Okorafor and DT Cam Heyward (coach's decision) were all full participants in practice Friday, and are expected to suit up.
• Bengals: TE Devin Asiasi (quad) was ruled out Friday. TE Mitchell Wilcox (ankle) and TE Drew Sample (knee) are questionable.
THE KEY VARIABLE(S)
Usually, we only point out one key variable. However, there are two that really need attention here.
• How can one not be Burrow and that group of receivers?
Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd give Burrow an elite group of receivers to throw to, and Hayden Hurst is a nice complement for the offense as well.
One way the Steelers can try and slow down this passing game is to get to Burrow. The Bengals did invest quite a bit in their offensive line, and they needed to after allowing 51 sacks (and 19 more in the playoffs) in 2021.
They added center Ted Karras, right guard Alex Cappa and right tackle La'el Collins in free agency. Fourth-round draft pick Cordell Volson won the starting spot at left guard during the preseason. The only remaining starter from last year is Jonah Williams at left tackle.
It is still a new group trying to find their footing, and it's something the Steelers' defense has their eye on.
"You don't really have the full five guys working together, so it's a little bit different," Watt said Friday. "But we've had that in years past where you have new guys from different teams. You have to watch the old film and things along those lines.
"But Week 1 is always about focusing on ourselves too. Just making sure we're as prepared as we possibly can and comfortable with our preparation."
As for the secondary, they'll make sure to try and stay disciplined in their coverage. Of course, they want to try and force turnovers, but not at the risk of blowing assignments. In turn, they'll hope to limit the big, explosive plays that Burrow is capable of creating.
"You've gotta limit that stuff," Levi Wallace told me. "This group, they have a play, then they have another play off of that. Burrow's mobility definitely helps them against groups trying to take risks."
• Tomlin pointed out the other key variable in this matchup:
"We’ve got to take care of the football. They dominated the control of both games over a year ago because we didn’t give ourselves a chance. Possession of the ball is a major component of being competitive that allows situations to unfold and allows weighty plays and moments to develop. Very rarely did they get an opportunity to develop last year in the contests against the Bengals because we just didn’t do a good enough job taking care of the football. That’s a big component of preparation for us, but it would be regardless of who we’re playing. I thought I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention those things."
Pittsburgh turned the ball over five times in the two games last year. Cincinnati turned it over twice.
Fortunately for the Steelers, all three of their quarterbacks went the entire preseason without throwing an interception. Now, they won't go all season without doing that. But, there is a clear emphasis on the signal caller to protect the football.
THE HISTORY LESSON
This is Steelers vs. Bengals, so there is a multitude of meaningful or memorable moments between these two division rivals.
Believe it or not, even though Sunday will be the 104th regular-season meeting between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, this is the first time they're opening the season against each other.
In celebration of this first-time meeting in Week 1, I'm going to revisit the most recent of six meetings in Week 2, when the Steelers won at home, 24-16.
Like the forecast for Sunday's game, this matchup was played in the rain.
The Steelers never trailed in this matchup. Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh to a first-quarter touchdown, connecting with Xavier Grimble on a 20-yard pass over the middle. The Bengals later answered with the first of three field goals on the day to close the gap to 7-3 just before the end of the first quarter.
The second of two first-half interceptions thrown by Roethlisberger prevented the Steelers from adding more than a field goal in the second quarter. The Bengals matched the Steelers with a field goal of their own as Pittsburgh went into halftime with a 10-6 lead.
Despite throwing two picks, Roethlisberger continued to push the ball down the field in the second half. He connected with Sammie Coates on a 53-yard bomb to put the Steelers inside the 10-yard line. On the very next play, he found Jesse James over the middle for his second touchdown pass of the day to put the Steelers ahead, 17-6.
The Bengals threatened near the end of the third quarter, but the Pittsburgh defense stood strong and held the Bengals to yet another field goal. The Steelers led, 17-9, with one more quarter to play.
Roethlisberger helped the Steelers pull away for good on a drive that took 6:54 off the clock, which included a 14-yard scamper by Roethlisberger himself. He later connected with DeAngelo Williams on a four-yard touchdown pass to put the Steelers up, 24-9.
The Bengals marched down the field on the very next drive and answered with Andy Dalton hitting Giovani Bernard on a swing pass that resulted in a 25-yard touchdown to make it a 24-16 game.
After forcing the Steelers to punt, Cincinnati drove the ball down the field once again and threatened to climb right back into the game. After the Bengals crossed midfield, Dalton found Boyd over the middle and James Harrison knocked the ball out and Robert Golden picked up the loose football for a critical fumble recovery.
The Steelers didn't tack on any more points, but wasted enough clock to give the ball back to Cincinnati with only :08 on the clock. The lateral play failed early as Heyward recovered the ball to put the game on ice.
The Steelers improved to 2-0 with the win, and would eventually go 11-5 and win the AFC North. The Bengals would go 6-9-1 and finish third in the division.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
As Dejan Kovacevic pointed out earlier this week, the Steelers will be hard pressed to find any success without the offensive line doing even an adequate job.
From left to right, the Steelers will deploy Dan Moore, Kevin Dotson, Mason Cole, James Daniels and Okorafor as the starting unit in Week 1. Cole and Daniels were both added in free agency to strengthen the line's play after a couple of rough seasons. The Bengals' front four -- Sam Hubbard, DJ Reader, BJ Hill and Trey Hendrickson -- along with Logan Wilson, will look to attack this group in an effort to limit gains on the ground and disrupt the rhythm in the passing game.
Of course, the Steelers are very familiar with Mike Hilton and what he can do near the line of scrimmage to derail both components of the opposing offense.
"Mike Hilton at the nickel spot has really added another level to their sub package football," Tomlin said. "He’s good in the blitz game. He’s good in the coverage game. He’s good in the perimeter game, jet sweeps, wide receiver screens, fitting and so forth. Open-grass tackling has always been a major component of his play."
Winning the battles in the trenches is a key component to victory in every football game, so going in that direction here seems like a bit of a copout. But, so much of what the offense can do depends on the offensive line getting the job done.
They don't have to be great in order for the Steelers to be successful. They have enough weapons on offense to put up points if they can be average.
So far, there has been very little put on tape to make anyone think average is attainable, especially when the Steelers are lining up against the defending conference champions.
"It doesn't really matter who we're playing," Okorafor told me. "The goal is to get going early (in the season). We need to."
THE 10 DATA POINTS
• The Steelers have either led the NFL or tied for the league lead in sacks since 2017. The Steelers sacked Burrow only two times last season -- both coming in the 41-10 thrashing in Cincinnati. Disrupting the passing game will be a key focus for the defense all season, but it might play a huge role in this one.
• Tomlin stressed the ability to take care of the football in this game, which is something the Steelers failed to do against the Bengals in 2021. Najee Harris had 381 touches last season and did not fumble once. That's the most in the NFL by a running back since at least 2000.
• In addition, Harris' 74 receptions are the most by a rookie in franchise history. Not by a rookie running back. A rookie. Period.
• Freiermuth’s 60 receptions in 2021 are the most by a rookie tight end in franchise history and fifth-most by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
• Having Johnson healthy is a big deal. He's recorded five or more catches in 12 straight games, which is the second-longest streak in the NFL.
• The Steelers signed Chris Boswell to a sizable contract extension this offseason. Why? Since joining the Steelers in 2015, Boswell has made 88.3 percent of his field goals. He ranks second in field goal percentage among all NFL kickers with at least 200 field goal attempts since 2015.
• The Steelers scored 169 points in the fourth quarter, which was second-most in the NFL and most in franchise history. Without being able to deploy Roethlisberger tapping into his fountain of youth, the Steelers will need to be more productive earlier in games in order to be successful in 2022.
• The Bengals have won the previous three meetings against the Steelers. This comes after the Steelers won 11 straight meetings, including the 18-17 victory in the Wildcard game. Yes, that one. The last time the Bengals won at least three games in a row against the Steelers was part of a six-game winning streak from 1988-1990.
• Even with the Bengals' recent success, the Steelers still hold a 67-38 advantage over the Bengals in the series history.
• I'm sure I'll get flack for mentioning this, but Trubisky is the only quarterback in NFL history to go through his first 50 career starts and not throw a pick six.
THE FANTASY CORNER
This is the first week of setting a weekly fantasy lineup on DraftKings. This is with a $50,000 salary cap.
• QB: Jaylen Hurts, Eagles ($6,800)
• RB1: Alvin Kamara, Saints ($7,600)
• RB2: Aaron Jones, Packers ($6,700)
• WR1: A.J. Brown, Eagles ($6,400)
• WR2: Christian Kirk, Jaguars ($5,100)
• WR3: George Pickens, Steelers ($4,100)
• TE: Hayden Hurst, Bengals ($3,300)
• FLEX: Najee Harris, Steelers ($6,400)
• DEF/ST: Titans ($3,500)
I like to go running back heavy, especially the ones that are versatile and/or are guaranteed some volume. Brown and Kirk are two solid picks are receiver, and I'm taking a bit of a risk with Pickens, but I believe he is capable of having a standout game right away. Tennessee is playing the Giants at home, so it was a good pick for the value.
