NFL
By: Melo Williams
The Steelers (1-3) Week 5 matchup is against early-on MVP candidate quarterback Josh Allen and a Buffalo Bills (3-1) team that is one of the best teams in the NFL.
This is the fourth straight year the Rust Belt rivals meet, with Buffalo winning two of the last three. In September 2021, the Steelers won in Week 1 after a blocked punt that was returned by Ulysees Gilbert for a touchdown that sparked the 23-16 win in the season opener last year.
Heading into the rivalry game, the Steelers is on a three-game losing streak after letting a 10-point fourth-quarter lead get away at home versus the New York Jets. Pittsburgh is in danger of its worst start since 2013 when the Steelers dropped their first four games but managed to bounce back to finish 8-8 that year. Though Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, this could perhaps be his first losing season in his career if things don’t change like right now for the Steelers.
Week 5 is the first game of a daunting stretch for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have games against teams with a current combined record of 12-4, that’s Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Miami and the Philadelphia Eagles the best team in the league.
Mike Tomlin announced Tuesday that Kenny Pickett would be the starter.
“Kenny will start this week and I just want to talk about that for a moment,” Tomlin said. “We made the change, obviously, Mitch’s performance was a component of the decision but not the only component of the decision. And I just want to be really clear there.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said his team needed a spark offensively after the loss to the Jets is why he benched quarterback Mitch Trubisky to start the second half and started 1st round overall pick, Kenny Pickett. After Pickett entered the game results were shown immediately.
Pickett ran for two touchdowns against the Jets but also threw for three interceptions but he provided the Steelers with a spark. Kenny completed 10 of his 13 attempts for 120 yards with six carries for 15 yards and two scores, and the second rushing touchdown gave the Steelers a 20-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Running back Najee Harris had his best game of the season in the loss. He rushed for 74 yards on 18 rushes averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
Wide receiver George Pickens had two receptions in the first half. In the second half with Pickett, Pickens had 6 receptions for 102 yards averaging 17.0 yards per catch. His longest catch was for 27 yards. It was Pickens best game of the season for him as well.
Though tight end Pat Freiermurth leads the Steelers in targets and receptions, his best game of the season was Week 4 as well. Freiermurth had 7 catches for 85 yards averaging 12.1 per catch and his longest reception was for 24 yards.
Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool had forgettable games once again.
The Steelers offense ranks 30th overall. 23rd rushing, 28th in passing, and 23rd overall in the league in scoring and will be going against a Bills defense that is ranked number one overall, 3rd in defending the run, number one in pass defense, and second in scoring defense.
Not only has the offense been a problem in Pittsburgh, the Steelers defense is giving up more than 100 yards per game than what they gain on offense. That doesn’t fare well for winning results.
The Steelers defense is ranked 24 overall. 24 in run defense and 21 in pass defense and 15 overall in scoring defense. Though not good but somewhat of an improvement. Especially with the circumstances of missing T.J. Watt. If the Steelers defense wasn’t on the field so much because of the lack of production from the offense, the defense might be a little better.
Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith has 24 tackles with 15 of those being solo, five tackles for a loss, and is second in the league with 5.5 sacks trailing San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa who has six sacks on the season to lead the NFL.
The Steelers defense is banged up from top to bottom and it seems as if it’s at every position. S Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee), S Terrell Edmunds (concussion protocol), CB Levi Wallace (ankle) and CB Cam Sutton (groin/hamstring) spent most of the week on the injury report. CB Ahkello Witherspoon has been ruled out and will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury. DT Cam Heyward (ankle/elbow) and DL Chris Wormley (ankle) were limited earlier in the week but are expected to play. The Steelers will be without LB T.J. Watt, who will miss his fourth straight game with a left pectoral injury. The Steelers are 0-7 with Watt out of the lineup since selecting him in the 2017 draft.
I expect the Steelers offense to look extremely better Sunday even though their going up against that Buffalo Bills defense that is somewhat banged up themselves on defense. The most important thing to pay attention to is offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s play calling who has already said the play calling will not change much. Hopefully, the offense can put some points on the board and help the defense who will have their hands full defending Josh Allen and the Bills passing attack.
PREDICTION: Buffalo wins 30-20
FUN FACT: A must-know fun fact, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Bills coach Sean McDermott were former William & Mary college teammates. Mike Tomlin and Sean McDermott played together in 1993 and 1994.
