As two of the NFL’s most storied franchises prepare to clash, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys faceoff in a pivotal matchup that could shape the course of their seasons. The last time they faced each other in primetime was 1982, which is astonishing considering the history of the rivalry between “America’s Teams.”
With Russell Wilson sidelined due to injury, the anticipated revenge game against the Denver Broncos has shifted to focus on Justin Fields, who now faces a pivotal opportunity to prove he belongs as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers look to start 2-0 for the first time since winning 11 straight games in 2020 while the Broncos look to avoid another 0-2 start to the season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to face the Atlanta Falcons to start the 2024 season. The Steelers will look to showcase their renowned defense, while the Falcons aim to make a statement on home turf with their high-powered offense. The Falcons come into the season as the favorites to win the NFC South while the Steelers have an uphill battle to reclaim the title as Kings of the AFC North.
It was all fun and games to poke fun at Arthur Smith while he was coaching the Atlanta Falcons and mismanaging Bijan Robinson’s workload, losing to the one-win Carolina Panthers, or running five-wide empty sets where his players made mind-boggling mistakes.
Russell Wilson has made a name for himself not only as a Super Bowl- winning quarterback but also as a masterful yet cringeworthy marketing machine. From his weird Tik Tok videos to this flat out bizarre Subway commercial for his trademarked “Dangerwich” sub, he has cornered the market on corny.
At this time last year, the Steelers were banking on quarterback Kenny Pickett to build on the positives from his rookie season. With that in mind, coach Mike Tomlin and the organization decided to keep Matt Canada as the offensive coordinator which turned out to be a disaster.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (34-37) host the Cincinnati Reds (34-37) in the first of a three-game series. All eyes will be on Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes as he looks to remain undefeated (3-0 with a 2.43 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings) in his seventh start of the season. This could prove to be a pivotal NL Central series as both teams look to break away from the jumbled division and Wild Card standings.
The Minnesota Timberwolves aim to maintain their playoff momentum following a sweep of the Phoenix Suns and consecutive victories in Denver during the first two games. The Wolves beat the defending champion Nuggets 106-80 in Game 2 to go up 2-0 in the series.
This is about as good as it gets for a second round series. While many predicted the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves would face each other in the playoffs, it was late season stumbles from both teams that allowed Oklahoma City to win the division, leading to this semifinal’s matchup.