Emergence of 2nd-Year WR Markus Wheaton Makes Steelers Offense Scary

Thanks to a Shaun Suisham field goal as time expired, the Pittsburgh Steelers eked out a 30-27 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It was a nailbiter, but you expect nothing less from the AFC North.

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The Steelers put a high-powered offense on display right out of the gate. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 365 yards, and the offense racked up a whopping 490 total yards. As of the end of the afternoon games on Sunday, only the Atlanta Falcons had a better day on offense.

Names like Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell are the constants. These are the guys who are supposed to play great, and they did.

However, one of the real bright spots of a nerve-racking game was the play of second-year wide receiver Markus Wheaton.

Wheaton finished the contest with six receptions for 97 yards. To put that in perspective, in 2013, Wheaton had six receptions for only 64 yards. It is understandable that some fans and writers entered the year with trepidation knowing that he was anointed the starting wide receiver opposite Brown.

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The pressure to perform was exacerbated by the fact that veteran wide receiver Lance Moore as well as rookie Martavis Bryant were inactive for the game.

How long would it take for Wheaton to make a play?

If you had 2:24 in the first quarter in the office pool, congratulations. Wheaton lines up opposite rookie first-round cornerback Justin Gilbert and blows past him upfield. Roethlisberger sees Wheaton with a step and drops it in the bucket for a beautiful 40-yard gain:

"

Big Ben to Markus Wheaton for 40 yard reception https://t.co/JnCf6Y5IYg

— gifdsports (@gifdsports) September 7, 2014"

However, Wheaton didn’t stop there. Late in the same drive, Wheaton caught a seven-yard pass. He followed that with eight- and 11-yard catches in the second quarter.

What stood out to me on Wheaton’s catches is his strength. The second-year wide receiver showed strong hands, snatching the football out of the air and finishing runs.

Everyone understood that Wheaton brought plenty of speed and quickness to the party, but his hands and concentration were great to see. Wheaton spoke with CBS Pittsburgh about how he had changed and how ready he was entering the season:

"

I got to do all those things with a lot of good guys, a lot of guys that were productive in this league. Being able to sit down with those guys, see how they prepare, see how they practice, see how they carry themselves off the field – I feel like I’m ready to do the same.

"

When Pittsburgh's final drive happened, Wheaton brought himself back to the forefront of everyone’s attention.

The Steelers got the football back with only 47 seconds left to play. Roethlisberger knew he had to get around 30 yards to give Suisham a shot at a game-winning field goal.

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With all the weapons at his disposal, Roethlisberger found Wheaton not once but twice, covering 33 yards and putting the Steelers in a spot to win the game.

After being a complete non-factor in 2013, the Steelers put the onus on Wheaton to fill the spot vacated by Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery in a dual role. After one week, it seems as if that spot opposite Brown is in good hands.

If Sunday’s game against a good Browns defense is any indication, the Steelers offense is going to be potent.

The Steelers haven’t even dabbled in Wheaton in the screen game or as a runner. He is an ideal pairing with Brown, and his game will only improve once Moore and Bryant return.

All stats courtesy of the ESPN.com.