Two teams that need no introduction meet tonight in Pittsburgh when the Steelers host the Dallas Cowboys. These two teams each have enough Super Bowl trophies to fill a case, and for years the Roman Numeral game often featured these two National Football League powers in battles against each other.
But today, both teams are a step off elite and the Steelers are in the process of trying to get by with a couple retreads at quarterback, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Fields has never lived up to his first round draft selection by the Chicago Bears and came to the Steelers over the summer at a bargain price.
Wilson was at the top of the quarterback charts early in his career, leading the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in his second pro campaign and another Super Bowl appearance the following season.
But, after being traded to the Denver Broncos three years ago, Wilson’s effectiveness seemed to not make the trip to the Mile High City. He too was picked up by the Steelers this off-season for almost nothing.
So, why are the Steelers trying to find a quarterback?
Because their shot at drafting one with a first round pick didn’t pan out.
The Steelers hadn’t used a first-round draft choice on a quarterback since they picked Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. They didn’t need to, Roethlisberger was one of the most reliable signal callers in the league for two decades. One tough hombre, who played through injuries like it was a badge of courage. In his career, Roethlisberger added two Super Bowl trophies to the Steelers collection.
In the 2022 NFL draft, the Steelers used their first-round choice on a local talent, quarterback Kenny Pickett out of the University of Pittsburgh. In his rookie season he showed some promise down the stretch of the season to preserve Head Coach Mike Tomlin's lifetime record of never having a losing season. But last year, Pickett did two things Tomlin won’t tolerate. First, he went backward in his development and second, he spent way too much time in the training room rehabbing injuries and missing the action.
These factors were enough to prompt the Steelers to cut him loose and roll the dice with Fields and Wilson this season while they continue to search for a permanent franchise quarterback.
Five weeks ago, before the 2024 season began, Wilson appeared to be headed to the starting role in Pittsburgh. But an injury sidelined him and the job was surrendered to Fields, who guided the Steelers to wins in his first three starts.
That is as many wins as Fields scored in Chicago over the past two seasons.
The real strength of this Steelers squad is a rock-solid defense … and tonight that is why they are favored over the visiting Cowboys.
Dallas has a quarterback situation of note too. What if you had a signal caller running your offense that has as much trouble in the postseason as a blind squirrel looking for hidden nuts. Each year the Cowboys team owner says Dak Prescott can lead his team to a Super Bowl win, but there is no empirical evidence to support that contention. In seven postseason games, Prescott has two wins and has never led the Cowboys out of the Divisional round.
Tonight, the Cowboys are good enough to win as an underdog, but to bet on them would put us in a class no smarter than Jerry Jones’ yearly statement on the prospects of his quarterback.
Once again, a great matchup between two longtime NFL powers, but no discernible edge to risk a wager.