No doubt one of the games to watch this week in the NFL, and for Steelers fan it will be a strange sight to see Santonio Holmes in green and white running out in Heinz Field. Before we get started with the important stuff, I hope he gets cheers before the game as long as the defense doesn't let him do anything to silence the crowd while the clock is ticking.
All the outside-the-lines drama aside, let's approach the scrimmage line and talk football. Here are 4 topics to keep in mind for this week's game.
Polamalu-less Defense
Without question the Steeler defense, led by Troy Polamalu, has been the fuel that’s fired the team’s current 4-game win streak. But with their top playmaker most-likely sidelined to recharge for the playoffs, the unit will need to draw up another strategy to hide a secondary that has proven to be easily exposed. Enter pass rush. Simply put the play of the linebackers and defensive line could very well determine the outcome of this game. LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison will need to pressure Mark Sanchez a bit more than Carson Palmer to force poor throws, but the Patriots and Dolphins have laid the blue-print for that game plan. I think the defensive line could have just as big an impact, as they will be responsible for opening up the pocket for the linebackers and an occasional cornerback (say, Willie Gay) to rush Sanchez into turning over the ball. The Steelers need to handle the run like they have all year, stopping Tomlinson and Greene from getting into an early rhythm and taking away the ground-offense by the end of the first half. After stopping the likes of Chris Johnson, Michael Turner and Ray Rice, the run defense isn’t dealing with anything new in Greene and LT. They’re streaky backs that become useless if they aren’t used early and often. Frankly, I’d be more intimidated by the shifty and slippery Leon Washington. With regards to the secondary, the best matchup of the afternoon features Ike Taylor against Santonio Holmes. Ike has successfully shut down several big-play receivers, but as a former Holmes fan, I can’t say I’d be surprised to see a quick slant or two go for 30 yards. Dustin Keller and Braylon Edwards pose a worthy threat to McFadden the Ryans (Clark and Mundy). The Steelers need a big game out of Clark if Sanchez isn’t consistently pressured. As long as the defense as a whole doesn’t give up any huge plays, going along with their season’s trademark, it should buy the defensive front enough time to figure out how to rattle the Sanchize.
3rd and Long
The Steeler Offense has found itself stuck and 3rd and 6+ often in crucial situations throughout the season, but Big Ben has found receivers in the clutch, and made the necessary plays to keep the chains moving. However if the offense wants to control the clock effectively, they’ll need consistent 5-6 yard run/short pass plays to get more 3rd and short opportunities. Isaac Redman has proven that he can get 2 or 3 yards when his number is called, and Mendenhall can break away for 15/20 yards if he catches the Jets defense is on its heels. The Jets pride themselves in stopping the run, so the offensive line will really need to drink their block-juice for this game. If Mendenhall can’t find holes and the line can’t buy Ben time, the Steeler offense transforms into a unit of hurried passing and -1 yard stuffers, which is the poorly-oiled machine that cranks out 3rd and long situations. For the short passing game to be effective, the passing game needs production from David Johnson, Manny Sanders and Hines Ward. I’m on the lookout for the short pass to Ward or Wallace in the WR bunch-right. It will also be interesting to see if Bruce Arians or Ben will be the one to test Darrelle Revis with a Mike Wallace deep ball. That is, of course, if #7 ever gets the time to see his receivers run more than 15 yard routes.
Just for the kickers
These are two teams with inconsistent offenses, and hard-nosed defensive units. With that said, a low scoring game is in order, and the kickers will most-likely have their stab at winning the game. Shaun Suisham has been nothing short meat and potatoes as far as field goals go, but I’m not sure if Nick Folk can be trusted on the Heinz Field turf. He’s only 4-7 in the 40-49 yard range. Still, there’s got to be a reason Suisham was job-less right? I stubbornly keep waiting for him to lose his cool, but he’s kept it simple and knocked 3 points on the scoreboard when the Steelers have desperately needed the aid. With regards to special teams in general, the field position battle could be just as influential as any other aspect of the game, given the lack of offense that both teams have turned in the past few weeks. If either team can make a return-play to get their offense in opponent-territory, it could be enough to decide, or at the very least alter the momentum of the game. Antonio Brown, in a Mendenhall-like trend, looks like he could break away on any given return, but he hasn’t been doing so in the past few weeks. Will this be the week that the special teams take over the game? If so, the Steelers will have the edge with home turf and a fired-up bunch of playmakers.
Make or Break for the Jets
This week will assuredly play out as the turning point of the Jets season. Either they’re able to rebound and show the NFL that they weren’t just a team that was exposed after getting lucky in the fourth quarter in 5 straight weeks. They could very well go back to being a legitimate threat in the AFC, but recent weeks point towards the opposite. Instead, Mark Sanchez has shown his youth and inexperience, simultaneously exposing the offense as unproductive and exploitable. If a sense of urgency comes into play at any point in the Jets season, it will have to be this Sunday for the Gang Green to maintain any hope to fuel a playoff run. If the Jets come out playing with everything to prove, will the Steelers match the intensity and respond to the challenge? Or will they fall back on an almost-certain playoff bid. One thing’s for sure, the Black and Gold could definitely use a bye week to rest Polamalu and Ben, and anxiously await the verdict on Aaron Smith. If Steelers can find a way to win this game, and it’s absolutely within reach, they can rest assured that they’ll have much more potential to make a dangerous playoff run in 4-5 weeks.
Overall, I expect this game to be a thriller, even if it’s only a battle driven by special teams or defensive playmaking. However the cards fall, the matchup promises a hard-nosed battle between two talented AFC teams.
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