PHOTO BY ABIGAIL DEAN | PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The most significant revelation of the week wasn’t Mike Tomlin confirming the Steelers’ desire to get more from Kenny Pickett and the offense (if you’ve been watching the games you had to be wondering by now about their specific intentions on that side of the ball) or the word out of Cleveland that the Browns would be without quarterback Deshaun Watson for the rest of the season.

It was Tomlin’s admission his rookies have been brought along slowly, painfully so, one could argue, by design.

Maybe the Steelers would have still been a 6-3 team through nine games had No. 1 pick Broderick Jones and No. 2 selection Joey Porter Jr. been starting all along.

Maybe the record would have been a little worse or a little better; we’ll never know.

PHOTO BY KARL ROSER | PITTSBURGH STEELERS

But if you’ve been desperate for a reason to believe the Steelers may yet become more formidable than they’ve shown, that there’s hope they’ll not only make the playoffs but grow into the type of team capable of actually doing some damage once the postseason is reached, the decision to finally take the kid gloves off the kids is it.

“You know, I think they’re just beginning to write their story, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin offered regarding the Steelers’ rookie class.

What they’ve authored over the past two games has been a page-turner.

It may yet have a happy ending.

“We’ve really been intentional about integrating them into play because oftentimes, man, this journey that is the NFL season is a long haul for a rookie,” Tomlin continued. “You think the preseason games are not significant, but for a rookie, man, every time they step into a preseason stadium, it’s the biggest game of their life. And so, they play three tough, significant games before the season even starts.

“And so, you know, we understand that, and we want them to be guys on the rise in the significant moments, when we need them, man, at the end of the season. We want them to be arrow-pointed-up type people. And so, we’ve been thoughtful and intentional about their growth and development.”

Conservative to a fault is another way to assess it.

PHOTO BY KARL ROSER | PITTSBURGH STEELERS

It’s not as if the offensive line and the defensive secondary had been excelling while Jones and Porter were spending time in the oven rather than the microwave.

But with Jones starting at right tackle the past two games the Steelers have rushed for 166 and 205 yards in succession, they’ve allowed a combined one sack and the 14th overall pick in last April’s draft has drawn rave reviews locally and nationally for his contributions.

And with Porter starting at cornerback the defense, while still springing leaks periodically due to multiple injuries at inside linebacker, has put a stop to the succession of opposing wide receivers running through the secondary relatively unopposed on the way to 100-yard games (something that occurred four times over the season’s first seven efforts). Porter’s contribution to that has included being trusted to follow and cover Tennessee wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best in the business, on a majority of the snaps.

The Steelers beat the Titans, 20-16, on Nov. 2.

PHOTO BY KARL ROSER | PITTSBURGH STEELERS

And they beat the Packers, 23-19, last Sunday.

Neither win was necessarily of the confidence-inspiring variety in terms of projecting playoff readiness. But the continued growth and development of Jones and Porter, and perhaps second-round defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and third-round tight end Darnell Washington, both of whom, presumably, were drafted for a reason and both of whom, arguably, have been likewise under-used, might check that box eventually.

If it works out that way, it won’t matter in the end that it took the Steelers far too long to get there.

Better late than never.