Steelers' Big Mistake In August Highlighted During Packers' And Lions' Thursday Night Football Contest

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 9-3 and in a great position to make the postseason for the second-straight year. It hasn't been the perfect 12-game stretch, but decisions made by General Manager Omar Khan throughout the offseason have proven to be wise, specifically bringing in veteran quarterback Russell Wilson. The jury is still out, however, on the front office's inability to acquire a legitimate receiving threat to pair with George Pickens. Calvin Austin III has had some big moments, but overall, it's easy to argue that the organization is lacking a consistent play-maker that can truly open up the offense.

The Steelers had several opportunities to add to the receiving corps, but big names such as Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams ended up not finding their ways to the Steel City. Pickens has been rather consistent all season and Pat Freiermuth has started to emerge as well, but it still seems as if Pittsburgh does not have enough potential when it comes to the wideouts.

The Detroit Lions hosted the Green Bay Packers in a huge divisional showdown on Thursday Night Football in Week 14, and a savvy front office move made by the Lions in August, that could easily have been done by the Steelers, was on full display. Despite a plethora of offensive weapons, the unlikely hero of the evening for Detroit was wide receiver Tim Patrick.

It wouldn't be fair to say that Patrick would have been signed to the Steelers' practice squad in August and immediately made an impact, but his 6'5" frame should have been enough at the time to attempt to bring him on board. If Patrick can find six catches, 43 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit's busy offense, he certainly could have made a name for himself in Pittsburgh's.

Aside from Pickens and Austin, the next best wide receiver in Van Jefferson has just 221 yards receiving. Fourth on the team is somehow Mike Williams, who was recently-acquired via trade. Williams only has caught one pass for 32 yards, though. Patrick didn't just make an impact on Thursday night, however. The pass-catcher has 27 catches for 349 yards on the year. Statistically, he has performed much better than Jefferson.

Back in August, Patrick was released by the Denver Broncos after a trade partner could not be solidified. Just a day after he was cut, the Lions swooped in and signed Patrick to the practice squad, along with former Steelers wide receiver Allen Robinson II. The brilliance of Pickens has been something to watch in 2024, but the lack of true play-making ability elsewhere is still present.

Patrick wouldn't have turned into an All-Pro in Pittsburgh's offense, but he is proving to be effective in an offense that is more formidable and has more mouths to feed. Hindsight is 20/20, as are all hypothetical scenarios when an NFL fan base looks back, but Patrick would have been a near-perfect low-risk, high-reward signing for Khan and co. back in August. The Lions were almost immediately on top of it, however, and the signing is proving to be worthwhile.

Steelers' Wide Receiver Trade Has Fans Confused

Williams was linked to Pittsburgh in the offseason before he ultimately visited with the New York Jets and agreed to a deal before he could visit the Steel City. He had a massive 32-yard touchdown for the Steelers against the Washington Commanders, but has otherwise been nonexistent. Time will tell if the franchise truly regrets not being more aggressive in the offseason, but the hope is that a lack of depth in the receiving corps doesn't hurt Pittsburgh too much down the stretch.

Would you like to have seen the Steelers target Patrick in late August when he became available? Let us know in the comments below!

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