For the Steelers, it’s a big week for Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

On Wednesday I’ll watch the 24th and 25th teams I’ve played with over the past five weeks as part of my annual NFL training tour, then head home. Until then, here are some notes to help you get through this tough time…

• I think I can translate what Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith had to say about his unit’s progress Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Here’s the full quote — about how the offense has looked so far — with some glaring mistakes on the field.

“You know this isn’t [the players’] “It’s unacceptable,” Smith told reporters. “But at the same time, it’s better to go through this now than to have it happen in the first week. There’s a lot going on there. We had a really good camp, but the reality is when we go in there under the lights … and that’s not to take away from the other defenses, but we have to get out of our own way. These are the things we have to clean up.”

In other words, the extended playing time that the Steelers’ starting offensive players received during the preseason reflects failure, and the need to correct things.

The team has spent a lot of cash and draft capital to improve the offensive line, and there’s a really good chance that two rookies, Troy Votano and Zach Frazier, will be among the team’s five starters on opening day. The receiver position still has a lot of moving parts, and of course, there’s the linebacker position.

This is a busy week for Russell Wilson, who is set to practice without restrictions for the first time since suffering a calf injury earlier in the summer. Wilson has struggled with inconsistency since he began working on his way back, and as the injury heals, he’ll need to fix that. Justin Fields has impressed in practice, showing his ability to extend plays and create a really nice element in the running game for the quarterback, but questions remain about how he processes information in the passing game.

The good news is that Smith has been an expert over the years at fitting his system to his quarterback.

• While we’re at it, I think the Steelers will continue to look for options at wide receiver – if the Brandon Aiyuk situation doesn’t work out for them.

A sign of their standing at the position is how they rejected the San Francisco 49ers’ request to acquire a player as part of any potential deal — which is why the Niners looked around for potential second-round deals, moving one of the next picks from Pittsburgh — if they decided to accept the Steelers’ offer (which was in the range of second- and third-round picks).

I think there will be some options available to them.

• In the trade market, there are a lot of teams looking for players on the edges of the field and players on the corners. This is evident from the return that the New England Patriots received for Matthew Judon, and the financial amount ($7 million guaranteed for one year) that Stephon Gilmore was able to obtain from the Minnesota Vikings.

• Thanks to Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores for his handling of the situation. Tua Tagovailoa’s status There’s no doubt that the two men had their differences in Miami, and that was a poor secret even when they were together on the Dolphins. So I think the fact that he’s dealt with it head-on and taken the right path is a good sign that he’s learned a lot from his three years as head coach in South Florida.

“Look, I’m a human being,” Flores told reporters Tuesday at the team’s training facility. “So it affected me in a way that wasn’t positive for me. But at the same time, I have to take that and say, Hi, how can I improve on this? How can I get better? And that’s where I really stand from that point of view. Do I feel like that’s me? No. But how can I grow from that and create a world where no one says that about Brian Flores?”

There’s one thing I will say about Flores – he was lovable By his New England defensive players, he He is Beloved by the guys he coaches in Minnesota.

Obviously, being a head coach is different from being a coordinator, so it can be difficult to establish the same kind of relationships with players as the first man. The important thing here, for me at least, is that Flores benefits from experience.

I don’t know many coaches who would speak out in the wake of comments like Tagovailoa made. I hope these two men bury their differences soon.

• With Jae Dunn Daniels officially named the starter for the Washington Commanders, I will say this — people I spoke to from the New York Jets this week praised Daniels’ appearance two weeks ago against New York’s star-studded defense, during a rain-soaked joint practice and their preseason game.

There was a lot of praise that matched what I heard from Washingtonians, about how Daniels doesn’t let anything (rain, in this case) bother him, how fluid he moves and runs, how accurately he can move the ball down the field, and the confidence he exudes. Which is why, by the way, Washington veterans responded to Daniels the way they did.

A lot of that has to do with Daniels’ 55-plus years at LSU. He’s seen a lot before he even got a chance to coach in the NFL. So it makes sense that he’d be prepared for all of this.

• Interesting name to watch: Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jalex Hunt. The third-round pick was actually a safety at Cornell University after a decorated prep career as a receiver and defensive back, had a growth spurt, transferred to Houston Christian and became a defensive back. The first pick in the draft never From Houston Christian, the athletically gifted Hunt made the jump to the NFL faster than Philadelphia thought possible. I think the Eagles will be creative in giving him some time.

• The Eagles and Green Bay Packers will play in Brazil in a little over two weeks, and I have to say the logistics of that trip won’t be easy. It makes me wonder why the league, when it added Sao Paulo and Madrid to its international series, didn’t decide to go to Spain first, and get an extra year of runway for Brazil.

• Quote of the Week from Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh on how he felt seeing quarterback Justin Herbert return to the practice field: “I felt like music was playing. I even thought I heard music. Maybe it was angels. It was a great feeling. It was a great feeling.”

• Perhaps the biggest mystery man on the camp trip for me was New York Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal, who is back from injury and will need to earn a starting spot, either at goalie or linebacker. His physical talents are undeniable. But the Giants are very curious to see how he responds to adversity, and how he recovers from it.

• I think the C.D. Lamb deal with the Dallas Cowboys will be finalized before the opener against the Cleveland Browns on September 8. I think this will at least spark more talks between the Cincinnati Bengals and Ja-Mar Chase, who is sure to be in Cincinnati for a long time to come. Remember, the Joe Burrow deal wasn’t pushed to the line until just before the 2023 opener.