The Pittsburgh Steelers came up short against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, and while a late stop could have given the Steelers a victory to move to 4-1, the loss will likely be attributed to the Pittsburgh offense, which didn’t work out. out of first gear against Dallas – and that means more talk around Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns’ troubles stem from the poor play of $230 million Deshaun Watson, while the Cincinnati Bengals could be in a panic after their stunning overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Here are the latest top stories Yahoo Sports is tracking as Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season comes to a close:
The chatter between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields is heating up in Pittsburgh
This one was easy to see coming as the Steelers struggled on offense for most of the season, but those issues came to the fore in Sunday Night’s Football loss to the Cowboys. Pittsburgh won the turnover battle three games to one and blocked a Dallas field goal, but got out, winning 445-226 and going just 3-for-12 on third down. Despite allowing over 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in the game, Pittsburgh’s defense made enough big plays to keep the Steelers in the game, but Fields and company could barely get out of first gear. Add that to Russell Wilson telling NBC Sports that he would be fully ready to play with the Raiders in Week 6, and all eyes will be on head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and how the practice reps are split this week.
Should Cleveland bench Deshaun Watson?
It may seem like ages ago because Joe Flacco is in Indianapolis and the Browns are 1-4, but Cleveland was a playoff team last season. That was due in large part to Flacco helping lead a late-season rally that saw Deahsun Watson out of the lineup after Week 10 with a shoulder injury. Watson ranks 28th among qualified passers in QB rating, completing just under 61% of his passes, and Cleveland is 27th in passing yardage. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has said he is sticking with Watson, but Jameis Winston’s shadow will remain large if Watson and the Cleveland offense continue to struggle.
