Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: First-half open thread

The Buffalo Bills host the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend in yet another early season game with late-season implications. For the Bills, a win would push them to 4-1 on the year with a 3-1 conference record. For the Steelers, a win would draw them nearer to .500 at 2-3, but a loss would put them well behind the eight-ball in their first season of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.

While replacing a future Hall of Fame quarterback is never easy, the Steelers hope that today marks the first day of their next great era, as rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is set to make his first career start. Pickett, the Steelers’ first-round choice in the 2022 NFL Draft, came in for the second half last week, throwing for 120 yards and three interceptions against the New York Jets. He did run for two touchdowns, though, all while showing a willingness to throw downfield that quarterback Mitch Trubisky did not in his four games as the starter.

For quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, the game plan is simple: score enough points against a battered Pittsburgh defense to force a rookie to beat their own battered defense. Both teams are battling injuries in addition to each other this week, so escaping without any new names appearing on the injured list would be a huge win for everyone.

Your open thread for the first half is here, friends. Be civil to each other. Remember to toggle the comments to “oldest” if you want to sort them in that classic game-thread way. And most importantly, enjoy the game wherever it is that you may be watching.

Go Bills!