NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
This week, we have a game featuring two teams that most people had limited expectations for. The 7-2 Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers 6-2 battle it out and find out more about where they are this year. Russell Wilson is having a solid season since his calf healed and has the offense looking a bit better. Jayden Daniels is the favorite for rookie of the year, and some even are saying the phrase MVP candidate. Both fan bases are hyped and riding the wave of a hot start, but someone will crash on Sunday.
Coming into this contest, the Steelers rank 6th in total defense, second in points against, and still have a terror on the edge named T.J. Watt. Protecting Jayden is key for a number of reasons: we don’t want injury, and he can’t make plays lying on his back. Getting the running game rolling will go a long way in slowing down Watt and his impact on the game. This is the best defense Jayden Daniels has seen all season so far; it is another test for the rookie. I will be keeping an eye on how fast he and Kilff Kingsbury will adapt to whatever the Steelers throw at them.
So, of course, one of the keys will be the Commanders offensive line play, keeping an aggressive defense at bay. You can’t allow Pittsburgh to force Washington to a passing-only offense you can’t forget that Minkah Fitzpatrick is roaming the secondary and is a big-time playmaker. He will try and take away Terry McLaurin, which is easy to say but much harder to do.
On the defensive side, Washington needs to be tough versus the run and not let Najee Harris get going. Russell Wilson does not have the same speed in the pocket and can get rattled with pressure. He has targets on the outside who are dangerous, like George Pickens and his new weapon, Mike Williams, from the Jets, how much will he be on the field, and what will he bring to the Steelers offense? I wouldn’t expect him to play a ton, but they will have a package of plays for him to have a shot of having an impact. The days of Wilson dropping back 25-30 times are over, and we need to expose that with locking down the running game.
A lot of the talking heads think this is the game where the NFL reminds Daniels he is a rookie. I say not so fast, my friend, the Commanders offense is farther along than the Steelers, so putting up points shouldn’t be an issue. This is a good defense, so I don’t see a blowout coming off the bye week Wilson had more time to get locked in, but I would say since week one, Dan Quinn has this Washington defense playing a lot better, which is what you WANT to see as the season goes on. With ten interceptions and counting, Daniels needs to be sure with his passing. Comes down to stopping the Steelers run game and, on offense, running the ball well to set up the passing game. This will be a great game #RaiseHail
Washington 27
Pittsburgh 21
