DENVER -- It might not be seen on the first snap, it might not be seen in the first quarter, and it might not be seen until closer to the conclusion of what Najee Harris this week dubbed a "15-round fight" in describing the Steelers' persistent, punishing approach to offense.
But be sure it'll be seen.
And the best thing about the Harris reference is that, unwittingly, it could've been applied to both sides of the ball.
"Boxing, if you'd want to put it in those terms, you're not always going to get the first-round knockout," Harris' thought train from Thursday continued. "You're not always going to score on the first drive. Or the second. Or the third. Or whatever. But eventually, something's gonna pop. A game like Atlanta, we might get 4 or 5 yards, keep the ball moving, and it'll be a slow game. But the next game ..."
That would be this one, of course: Steelers vs. Broncos, 4:25 p.m. Eastern at whatever the Broncos happen to be calling their stadium this week, with a chance to start 2-0 in that larger-scope 17-round fight, to stack another W that might be precious later in the stacked-against-them second half of the schedule and, as a bona fide bonus, to set the stage for one hell of a home opener.
To make that happen, though, I'll say here and now, they'll need to take the Atlanta performance to another level. And again, that's both sides of the ball.
The obvious first notion to arise on offense would be to, oh, you know, score an actual touchdown. And that's as it should be. But I've got other elements I'm hoping to see within that:
• Use the middle. Duh.
Justin Fields was unfairly maligned, it felt like, for not doing so, even though all concerned all the way up to Arthur Smith acknowledged that was part of a specific plan aimed at avoiding Atlanta's all-universe safeties Jesse Bates and Justin Simmons, and yet it's still got to happen. There's no reason it shouldn't, in fact: Fields is plenty comfortable doing it, as he's shown the Steelers all summer. Pat Freiermuth's heaviest usage will take place there. George Pickens can run crosses there. Calvin Austin can be sprung on quick slants.
As Freiermuth told me this week when I poked him on the subject, "More to come."
Cool. Let's see it.
• Let's also see throws to running back.
Smith's play-action sequences and misdirections, unlike those of his predecessor, come with a purpose. And that can be doubly enhanced by getting the ball to Harris (one catch last week) and a healthier Jaylen Warren (two catches last week) more often. It doesn't need to a final checkdown. It can be by design. And it'll be a wonderful way to avoid any jamming of the box that Sean Payton might scheme up.
Spread 'em out like an accordion, then resume pounding once the holes are bigger.
• Heave that thing.
Fields wasn't perfect in Atlanta, except in one category: Three deep ball, three Ws. I'd even add a fourth that was nullified by a petty push-off penalty on Pickens. I don't know that this needs to be multiplied many times over, and particularly not with the excellent Patrick Surtain on Pickens coverage. But I do know that I'm not letting Payton erase Pickens without a fight, even if that takes all 15 rounds.
• Defensively, pin the ears back.
Meaning blitz more than three times. That's right, three all day against the Falcons, or 10.7 percent of all dropbacks, third-lowest such figure in the NFL in Week 1. Now, to the inestimable credit of T.J. Watt and company, the Steelers didn't need to blitz to put 11 pressures on Kirk Cousins. They knew he's smart at picking apart the holes created by a blitzing defense, they rushed no more than 4-5 players, and they still got back there.
This week, with richly promising but still-a-rookie Bo Nix entering Week 2 of his NFL life, with Nix having gone 7 of 15 for 20 yards and a pick when the Seahawks blitzed, there's all kinds of cause for the Steelers to bring the house, as well.
• Assault Denver's offensive line.
No unit anywhere was worse in Week 1, with the Broncos conceding pressures on Nix at an astounding 44.9%, and that became the No. 1 topic here this week on merit with everyone from Payton down being asked how the Broncos can preserve Nix, much less support him. And that was made all the darker when Garett Boles, their veteran left tackle and best on the line, couldn't fully practice until Friday because of a calf injury. The center, Luke Wattenberg, missed practice time, took, because of an ankle injury.
This is the mismatch of the day. No need to get too cute.
• But hey, go ahead and get a little cute.
Nix made Kenny Pickett look like Dan Marino in keeping almost all of his passes short or even behind the line, setting a literal NFL all-time record low of 3.3 yards per attempt in a game in which the quarterback completed at least 26 passes, as he did. When he threw 10 or more yards in the air, he was 2 of 12 for 42 yards and two picks. And this despite the Seahawks' secondary basically daring him to try.
Some of that was caused by pressure, but that wouldn't explain throwing into triple-coverage three times, or this being the for-real only time he was trusted to throw beyond the sticks:
Love LOCKDOWN. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/fyeqYzuAT1
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 8, 2024
Eat up, gentlemen.
• All the latest on Russell Wilson's injury. He'll be inactive again, Kyle Allen backing up.
• Wrote it a week ago in Atlanta, and I'll repeat it emphatically here: If Fields wins, barring some abysmal individual effort, he's got to stick as starter.
• It's Troy Fautanu's inauguration day and, if takes care of a tall task in Denver's Jonathon Cooper -- who twice sacked Geno Smith in Seattle and knocked him down four other times -- then he's got to stick, too. Worry about who he'd replace afterward. This alone could be supremely significant for the Steelers' season.
• Hated to see Chuks Okorafor walking out on the Patriots yesterday. No reason was given by New England management, but he was being asked to play left tackle -- not his natural right -- to fill a team need in Week 1, and he was replaced after 12 snaps saw three pressures. A source told me last night he's fine, but he just "needs a break from football." It's a tough, tough game.
• The Rocky Mountains can be cruel and unpredictable with the weather, on top of the thin air, and it'll be 86 degrees at kickoff for this one. Expect more of the Steelers' heavy rotation, especially on defense, to continue.
• This isn't one of those places the visiting fans overrun. For one, as Denver linebacker Alex Singleton worded it this week, "I think we have better fans than Atlanta." For another, it's the Broncos' home opener.
• Can't recommend enough our weekly Next Opponent analysis by Chris Halicke.
• I'll be writing one of these columns on every gameday. They'll be last-minute concepts, nothing too cosmic, just some stuff I'll have swirling through the cranium closer to kickoff.
• Thanks for reading my football coverage. Chris and I'll be everywhere the Steelers are and, in addition to our written coverage, we'll venture to whip up on-location videos like this before and after each game:
