Kovacevic: Fan reaction might be day's most combustible component

Picture the scene ...

Mitch Trubisky's back to pass, a New England linebacker blows through James Daniels, the pocket's burst, Trubisky eschews throwing across the middle to a wide-open Pat Freiermuth waving his arms, then beelines to the sideline for yet another self-inflicted sack, yet another three-and-out, yet another Pressley Harvin punt.

Care to guess what follows from the 68,000-plus fans in attendance?

Mm-hmm. And let's not pretend it wouldn't be a big deal, if not the biggest deal of the Steelers' 90th home opener that kicks off today, 1:02 p.m., against the Patriots at Acrisure Stadium. Because, need I remind, it's been a couple decades since anyone in these parts has booed their own quarterback in a game that counts. And the last thing a developing offense needs is a distraction of that scope, even if it's generated entirely from the outside.

Oh, maybe it'll be explained by some participants as piggybacking on the offense's pathetic showing in Cincinnati, which would be believable. Or as a show of the local affection for Kenny Pickett, which is very real. Or as an over-their-heads shot at Matt Canada or Mike Tomlin, both of which would be accompanied by ample precedent. But whichever way it winds up, all the figurative fingers in the moment will point toward Trubisky coming off the field and ... yeah.

Given the head coach's oft-stated emphasis on how his players perform 'in stadiums,' as well as other facets of rising up to game settings, I'd be stunned if this weren't a factor he's already weighed. And if it isn't, then I'm guessing those big Bose beauties over his ears kept him from hearing all those 'KEN-NY! KEN-NY!' chants in the preseason, to say nothing of the booing of Mason Rudolph.

That's as far as I'll take this, other than to offer: Let Trubisky loose.

Only a capital-C cynic would doubt that this offense has bona fide playmakers all around the quarterback -- Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris -- and that was seen in Cincinnati on those rare occasions that Trubisky put the ball in their hands. All that's needed in this equation, in addition to blocking and scheming and other stuff that can't be taken for granted, is to put that simple process in motion.

There'll be nowhere to hide if there isn't change, and that alone will bring another unwanted obstacle.

• That said, I'm liking the Steelers to take this one by 10. Because I believe Tomlin, in part because of what's above and how protective he's been of Trubisky, won't want to handcuff his choice for No. 1 quarterback on consecutive weeks. But much more because, unlike the Patriots with a banged-up Mac Jones and not a ton else, the Steelers' offense at least has an unreached ceiling. 

They can be better, and I'm not sure New England can. Certainly not against this defense.

• I'm not anticipating any seismic adjustments to T.J. Watt's absence, but it's impossible to ignore that the Steelers are 0-4 and allow an average of 7.63 additional points anytime he doesn't start, so it'd also be nuts to do nothing beyond giving a go-get-'em-cowboy to Malik Reed.

As such, with Bill Belichick's giant brain still being limited to a single week of film of his opponent's defense, the one move that might make the most difference is to augment the defensive line with a third body, versus the two they ran almost religiously in Cincinnati. It's a luxury to have Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi wreaking two-man havoc as they did -- while also getting the best of Joe Mixon on the ground -- but that, combined with the 100 snaps all those guys logged, could spell a different approach in this one. Tyson Alualu, Montravius Adams and Chris Wormley have different skill sets and, thus, can be applied for different purposes.

• Speaking of film: Don't underestimate the value of Brian Flores on the defensive staff in any context, but especially not when he's got film of the Patriots facing his former team. Just sayin'.

• Between all their championships, all their cheating and all their bravado, aren't the Patriots due for a course correction of epic proportions, even if just on the karma front? To say nothing of the AFC East finally having not just one but two stronger teams?

Who'll weep?

• Three targets for Pickens in Cincinnati?

Talk about a critical course correction due today 

• Najee needs to find the holes that exist, not the ones that were supposed to exist. Remember this with the first handful of snaps taken here. It'll be the first telling sign of how the day'll go.

• Soon after reporting to Latrobe, per what Terrell Edmunds told me this week, the key figures on the defense met for the purpose of outlining their expectations for each other from the individual and group perspectives. This didn't surprise in the slightest. That side of the ball oozes leadership and, when twinned with the talent at hand, a truckload of the swagger that's needed to excel on Sundays.

Don't underestimate the need for this to develop on offense, as well. The captains are Trubisky and Najee. The O-line's got no one standing up in that capacity yet. The wide receivers are too young. The designated leaders need to lead.

• Is Myles Jack, fresh off 10 tackles and serving as the only real starter at inside linebacker -- Devin Bush and Robert Spillane rotated -- already being underappreciated in Pittsburgh?

Dude's a football player ... and a dude.

Superb, if outwardly necessary, acquisition.

• Big forward step coming here for Kevin Dotson. Just watch.

• As much as TV allows it, watch Dan Moore's hands, too, to see how much fight he exhibits.

• Word emerged Saturday that the Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase was issued two fines for unsportsmanlike conduct in the opener, the first for $13,261, the second for $10,609. This is asking too much, but I'd like to think it was one for each middle finger he flashed to Minkah Fitzpatrick, but then I'm not sure which one would be more expensive or why.

• I didn't care about the new name, like, at all. I do care that the new sign facing Downtown is ... wow, awful:

Went up this week. Here's hoping it can come down just as quickly.

• Thanks for reading. And oh, hey, don't take for granted that we're able to do stuff like this again on a grand scale.