4 Pittsburgh Steelers players who needed a goodbye the most

Pittsburgh Steelers hooked, itchy and eager for a chance to test this team at full strength against higher-quality opponents can join the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Pittsburgh’s bye week came at a critical time. Pittsburgh’s reset came midway through the season. All six Steelers AFC North games take place in the second half of the season. Priorities in Pittsburgh have changed. Extending Mike Tomlin’s streak of finishing .500 or better to 18 years and threatening the New England record of 20 is a side mission for 2024.

However, for parts of the squad, a reset is exactly what they needed. For various reasons, some guys needed the bye week more than others. For these four names, a little R&R&R (rest, relaxation and reset) was crucial.

Carrying the team on your back at the age of 30 is a grueling endeavor. Especially for a future Hall of Famer. This season Watt is on the field 92 percent of the time Steelers snaps, an increase of 10 from the previous year when he played all 17 games. Injuries to Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith forced Watt to play hero on almost every pass.

In contrast, Will Anderson, Watt’s likely runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, played 128 fewer snaps (65 percent of Houston’s total defensive snaps) than Watt in one additional game. Although he was indeed rested in the second half of Houston’s loss to the Jets, Anderson was rested for 35 percent of Houston’s snaps, which shows how much Pittsburgh relies on Watt.

The Steelers’ injury problems were so bad a month into the season that linebacker DeMarvin Leal joined the outside linebacker rotation. The Steelers will need Watt to keep him fresh for the second half of the season. Highsmith, 27, and Herbig will have to take on more responsibility by rushing to the edges if they want a new Watt in January.

If you hear an offensive lineman’s name on a national television broadcast and it’s not “Tush Push,” it’s usually because someone in the trenches screwed up royally. With each passing week, Broderick Jones is gaining fame for his terrible pass blocking. Jones’ seven sacks and 21 pressures in eight starts are a testament to how much of a regression there has been in his game since his rookie year, when he allowed 24 pressures and five sacks in 11 starts. Jones’ overall grade of 46.4 from Pro Football Focus ($) ranks 113th out of 126 tackles.

Jones was originally drafted in the first round out of the University of Georgia to play left tackle, but the Steelers opted to slot him on the opposite side to take advantage of his potential as a quality run blocker. Following the season break, rookie Troy Fautanu returned to playing on the right wing and continued his downward trend. If Jones has any long-term hope of justifying his draft status, it will most likely be at his original left tackle position, which is currently held by Dan Moore.

With any luck, Jones spent a week visiting a mentalist who was able to trick his brain into believing his right side was left and his left side was right, and Pittsburgh could fry in hot fat. Unfortunately, for the first half of the schedule, Jones blocked like he was sliding on hot grease. During the Steelers’ Monday Night Football victory over the Giants, Jones committed a face mask penalty on the first drive, which negated a George Pickens touchdown.

Cam Sutton’s return to Pittsburgh could have come under the worst possible circumstances. Still, after serving an eight-game suspension, he’s finally able to practice with the Steelers for the first time. Sutton wasn’t just suspended from games. He was also not allowed to train for half of the season.

First, the Steelers need to find a role for Sutton. The outside cornerback position is occupied by Joey Porter Jr. and offseason acquisition Donte Jackson. The long-time Steelers defensive zone presence was expected to outpace a weakened Beanie Bishop Jr. on the field, but the rookie has stepped up in recent weeks after bouncing back from early-season struggles as the weakest link in the secondary. Sutton spent his first six seasons with the Steelers as a defensive back, but after a year and a half away, he will have an adjustment period ahead of him.

The second half of the season is a key test for Benton, who is notoriously less good at putting pressure on playmakers from deep in the second half of games. Steeler Depot analyst Alex Kozora Analyzing Benton’s performance showed Benton struggling fiercely in the second half after the offensive linemen adjusted to their signature club movement.

In eight games, Benton has 16 tackles, a fumble recovery and four nice passes, but Pittsburgh’s 2023 second-round draft pick needs to develop and show off his counter-attacks if he is to make an impact on the defensive line.