The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense had another middling day in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. While it was going against the NFL’s worst defense, it still struggled to get going for much of the game. The team tweaked its offensive personnel slightly, too. Roman Wilson saw his inclusion in the Steelers’ offense increase, while Calvin Austin III’s role decreased.
Wilson logged 37 offensive snaps against the Bengals, and Austin only played 19. That’s basically a complete reversal of what their roles had been. Wilson played 18 snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10, and Austin played 38.
However, Austin had a quiet day last week. He only had two catches for 14 yards against the Chargers. Meanwhile, Wilson had two catches for 35 yards and a touchdown in that same contest. While most of that came with the game out of hand, it might’ve given the Steelers more confidence in Wilson.
Wilson’s production didn’t increase alongside his role, though. He only had one catch for 17 yards. However, that was an important play. It came on a third down, and Wilson’s catch picked up the first down. The Steelers went on to kick a field goal on that drive, and that wouldn’t have happened without Wilson.
Austin didn’t do much either.. He only had one catch for five yards. Also, he had a rough mistake on a punt return, fielding a ball that looked like it was going to roll into the end zone. That left the Steelers in poor field position.
However, the Steelers’ offense as a whole didn’t have a great day against the Bengals. Part of that was because Aaron Rodgers didn’t play after halftime due to an injury. That left Mason Rudolph as the starter. While the Steelers weren’t doing much offensively before that, losing Rodgers didn’t help.
We’ll see if this role reversal sticks for the Steelers. Wilson hasn’t done much this season, but neither has Austin, and he’s been gotten opportunities. Perhaps Wilson will make more plays if he continues to get more snaps.
The Steelers need another receiver to step up, though. DK Metcalf is a solid No. 1, but the Steelers don’t have a defined WR2. Now, it seems like Wilson is getting a crack at the job. Hopefully, that motivates him and Austin to improve.
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