Pittsburgh Steelers Fact or Fiction: Preseason Week 2 Chiefs Edition

With members of the Pittsburgh Steelers getting ready to do battle against Andy Reid and his Kansas City Chiefs on Friday at Heinz Field, the narrative of the ‘19 campaign continues with speculation and excitement galore. BTSC anticipates big storylines and issues bold statements regarding each one of them. Let’s take a look and deem them as fact or fiction.

Only playing Ben Roethlisberger a half in this preseason will lend to a slow start in New England.

Fact

In the past five seasons, Ben Roethlisberger’s only good showing in the opener was against Washington in 2016. Although the team needs to err on the side of caution and make sure their franchise quarterback doesn’t get injured, No. 7 needs to play more than one half of football in exhibition play. Waiting to shake off rust against the Pats reduces chances of winning.

Ola Adeniyi’s surgery ensures Tuzar Skipper a spot on the 53-Man Roster.

Fiction

With Adeniyi out, his Toledo teammate has the best chance of anybody to make the team. However the Steelers played a good bit of the 2018 season with only three linebackers on the 53MR and they could repeat that practice again.

The WR2 position is James Washington’s to lose after one game.

Fiction

Washington had a phenomenal 2019 debut, but more of a sample size is necessary. The second-year Cowboy from Oklahoma State was very impressive, but Donte Moncrief and Diontae Johnson haven’t shown what they could do yet. No. 13 may be a front runner, but this competition has just begun.

The Pittsburgh defensive scheme did a lot to hinder Justin Layne’s first appearance as a Steeler

Fact

While the third-rounder from Michigan State struggled in his Steeler debut, one can’t help not to wonder why a press corner was playing off of his man. No. 31 needs to get improve mightily, but the system does as well. The team desperately needs to take advantage of their players’ strengths. That was far from done last week pertaining to Layne.

How the secondary defends Pat Mahomes could be a sneak peak of the tale of 2019.

Fact

I personally would love to see Pat Mahomes play against the Steelers secondary the entire contest. If a majority of the first-string starts against Mahomes and they struggle...it could foreshadow a long season.

Will these statements identify more as, to quote Bill Murray as John Winger in Stripes, “That’s a fact...Jack!” or will they identify more with the Albert Camus quote “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.”? What matters most is your opinions on the matter. Please state them in the comments below.