Pittsburgh Steelers gain more ground in Davante Adams race

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for a WR1 and another star to add to the arsenal of Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, depending on who Mike Tomlin names as the starter. But their lead in this race could get bigger, and if they're not the favorites, they'll have to be pretty close after this weekend.

The Steelers traveled to Las Vegas in Week 6 looking to bounce back from two straight losses. They reportedly discussed a possible Adams trade while with the Raiders. The next day, Adams got a front-row seat to watch Pittsburgh (who wasn't playing its best ball) score 32 points against his current team.

Aside from Fields and Co. putting up dominant numbers — which Najee Harris did — it was a win that would have resonated with Adams. If the Steelers were in his top three, a big win in Vegas should have at least slightly increased their chances of him coming to Pittsburgh with confidence.

This apparently came just moments after the New Orleans Saints, a front-runner in this race, lost 51-27 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Without Derek Carr, this team seems to be in trouble, and with a record of 2-4, it's not a very promising place for someone who wants to win.

So when the Steelers left Vegas, they were in good shape. But Adams had one more game to watch in Week 6, and it was a big one. The AFC East showdown between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills had everyone wondering what would happen. A new head coach in New York was the hopeful start of a turnaround. Buffalo, like the Steelers, had lost two games in a row and needed a bounce back.

You got it. But it was by no means anything convincing.

The Jets may have ruined their chances with a third straight loss, dropping their record to 2-4. Their only wins came against the Patriots (1-5) and Titans (1-5).

The Bills scored just 23 points, with, as in Pittsburgh, their running back doing most of the work.

This race could come down to the trade deadline as Pittsburgh, Buffalo and perhaps even Baltimore are neck and neck. But at the end of Week 6, it's hard to imagine Adams not having a vision of Pittsburgh fans filling Allegiant Stadium and Tomlin walking away with a smile on his mind.

It comes down to compensation and the Raiders' willingness to concede. However, if they come up just barely, it's hard to imagine Steelers fans not getting the news that their team just acquired an All-Pro wide receiver.

Week 6 was a big challenge for Pittsburgh in the Davante Adams race, and it feels like they came away with a clear lead in the competition.

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