Michael Pittman (foot) questionable for Week 3

Bernard began the game with a potentially catastrophic blunder by moving the chains on first down, only to run back behind the sticks in search of more yards. He was taken down behind the line to gain for a turnover on downs. Instead of banishing him to the bench, Aaron Rodgers continued to lean on the rookie throughout the contest for easy completions underneath. He tied DK Metcalf for a team-high in catches. Per the broadcast, it was the most catches by a rookie receiver of Rodgers since the grizzled veteran entered the league. Bernard went from a PPR scam to a full-blown breakout in overtime by extending the ball for a game-winning touchdown with two defenders draped over him. Bernard has 21 targets over the past two weeks. He also has at least 80 yards in back-to-back games. He is looking at a WR3 ranking for his Week 7 matchup with the Saints.

We weren’t exactly worried about Skowronek siphoning many targets away, but with him out of the pecking order entirely Germie Bernard should be a wheels-up WR3 for Week 6 now that both Skowronek and Roman Wilson have been ruled out.

Michael Pittman (foot) was ruled out earlier in the week, and then Roman Wilson dislocated his finger during the game, so there wasn’t a lot of competition for Bernard and DK Metcalf. The rookie from Alabama played the same number of snaps as Metcalf and ran a route on 35 of the team’s 38 dropbacks. This isn’t an explosive passing attack, but Bernard looks like the WR2 in Pittsburgh now and is more of an intermediate and short-area target than DK Metcalf, which could lead to decent fantasy value over the next few weeks.

Wilson had just one target in the first half. He pinned the reception to his hip, but the ball was ripped loose by a defender, which not only made the pass incomplete but also seemed to dislocate Wilson’s finger. With Michael Pittman Jr. also hurt, we should continue to see a lot of Germie Bernard in Week 5.

Pittman aggravated the foot injury that cost him Week 2 last week and will now miss four games, at minimum, while on injured reserve. Roman Wilson appears to be the primary beneficiary of Pittman’s absence and has seen six targets in each game this season while mostly playing a situational role. Wilson is a priority waiver addition over rookie Germie Bernard.

McCarthy told reporters the team is evaluating Pittman’s roster spot, meaning they could place him on injured reserve. He would miss at least four weeks while on IR. Pittman tried to play through the foot injury but only made it two weeks before aggravating the issue. He was spotted using a scooter to support his foot in the locker room on Wednesday. We suspect the Steelers will place him on IR to give Pittman enough time to fully recover. Germie Bernard will now operate as the team’s permanent WR3, with Roman Wilson taking on more work as the clear No. 2 receiver. Both players will be decent FLEX options for Week 5.

Pittman has been playing through a foot injury this season and was seen participating in team stretches earlier today. Although the scooter use is alarming, this is likely just load management. Pittman is a boom-bust FLEX against the Colts this weekend.

That makes two consecutive games with two receptions for the veteran X receiver, who continues to be handily outplayed by teammate Roman Wilson. Pittman brings his season total in receptions to seven after missing Week 2 with injury and remains largely confined to the short areas of the field. The Steelers made good on their promise to increase their 12-personnel utilization against the Browns, and it was Pittman who saw his route participation suffer the most. Pittman is quickly bordering drop candidate territory ahead of a Week 5 meeting with the Colts.

Pittman was back in action after missing Week 2’s game with a foot injury. Despite being on the field for 28 routes, the veteran receiver struggled to make much of an impact, making two eight-yard receptions on back-to-back drives before fading into the distance. Pittman has caught 5-of-8 targets for 74 scoreless yards this season and shouldn’t be counted on for Week 4’s game against the Browns.

It was reported earlier on Sunday that Pittman was expected to suit up, so this isn’t much of a surprise. Despite being ready to go, Pittman will be hard to trust this week against a much-improved Bengals defense. He caught just three passes for 58 yards on three targets in his lone game this season and his best left on fantasy benches in most cases.