If the Steelers manage to get Adam Thielen on the field this week, who is most likely to lose playing time to make room? Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes it will be a combination, rather than just one player. Of course, that depends on how large a role they envision for Thielen, and what it entails.
Throughout the season, the Steelers have struggled in the passing game. DK Metcalf hasn’t found ways to win against double coverage, and others haven’t taken advantage. Pittsburgh is perhaps hoping that Thielen can help make defenses think twice about their coverage scheme. So far, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, and Ben Skowronek have not. But who will spend more time on the bench?
“I would probably say Roman Wilson,” Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday when asked about who the Steelers would take off the field for Adam Thielen. “They could scale back [Ben] Skowronek a little bit, but they like him in running situations. I would probably say a combination of Ben Skoworonek and Roman Wilson. That’s probably the way I would lean.”
Roman Wilson’s role has fluctuated a lot this season, going from 56 percent of the snaps one week to half that the next. He has 244 total offensive snaps on the year, or 35 percent. And he hasn’t caught a pass in the last two games on four targets—though it hasn’t been his fault.
As for Ben Skowronek, he’s obviously not a major offensive contributor, playing about half as much as Wilson. He does have three catches on the year, including a touchdown in the opener. But he serves other purposes, particularly in terms of blocking. Adam Thielen is a bigger guy who cut his teeth on special teams—but he’s also 35 years old.
The fact that the Steelers picked up Thielen obviously speaks to their dissatisfaction with the current wide receiver group. That doesn’t necessarily translate to him having a big role, or an immediate role, however. And they also see the tape on Wilson, for example, and know he is playing better than the numbers look.
But that in itself is alarming. If they can’t get Wilson going, how are they going to get Thielen going? He wasn’t seeing much action with the Vikings already, though they have a much better wide receiver room. Still, is Wilson the one who ought to suffer to give Thielen a role?