5 Players to Watch: Week 8 Steelers vs Lions
This week the Steelers will travel to Ford Field to face off against the Detroit Lions. The Steelers are 5-2 and sit at the top of the AFC North. The Lions are 3-3 on the season and looking to play spoiler and grab a win away from the black and gold after last week’s ‘bye’.
Here are five players to watch that could play a pivotal role in this game:
Justin Hunter
Following all of his drama, the Steelers decided to bench Martavis Bryant for this week’s game. This gives Justin Hunter an opportunity to finally show us what he’s got.
While Hunter was a fan-favorite during training camp, often making spectacular catches, his season has been quiet. He’s had two catches so far in the 2017 regular season: a catch for five yards against the Ravens and a catch for six yards against the Jaguars. Not the production you would expect from a 6’4″ receiver with 4.44 speed.
It is up to Hunter this week to prove why he deserves a roster spot and show what he’s capable of. Assuming he plays a similar role as Bryant, I expect him to get at least one shot on a deep ball. The Lions will likely be giving Antonio Brown a lot of attention so the Steelers need guys like Hunter to contribute.
David DeCastro
David DeCastro has been a star this season. All year the guard has excelled at opening up holes for Le’Veon Bell and blowing guys up. The Steelers have played their best games when they can establish a strong run game, making DeCastro a key.
It’s no accident that Pro Football Focus has DeCastro rated as the top guard of the 2017 season.
If the Steelers establish a lead in the game, you can expect another 30+ carry game for Bell. That’s been the game plan for the Steelers, to control the clock and have a balanced offense. That approach all starts with the offensive line and having a cornerstone player like DeCastro will allow Bell to go on and have a monster game.
Darius Slay
While not the biggest name in the league, Darius Slay is a quality corner. He is a player to watch because he will likely be tasked with shadowing Antonio Brown. So far in 2017, Slay has been balling. Through seven weeks he already has three interceptions; tied for third in the league.
While everybody knows that Brown is capable of beating any cornerback, we’ve also seen defenders have success against him. Just last week, Bengals defensive back William Jackson III succeeded in shutting down Brown in coverage.
People have thrown Slay’s name around as being an elite cornerback in this league; whether or not that’s true there’s no denying he is talented. Keep your eye on him as he takes on Brown.
Matthew Stafford
I know I know, having the Lions starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford, on this list is a “no duh” moment. However, many people sleep on Stafford despite him being a very talented quarterback. Stafford has led this Lions offense to an average of 26.8 points a game, eighth highest in the league. He’ll do well if his receiving corps steps up and keep an extra close eye on him if Golden Tate returns from a shoulder injury this week.
Ezekiel Ansah
There is no question that Ezekiel Ansah hasn’t played at the same pace as he has in the past, but “Ziggy” has four sacks in six games and three of those came against Eli Manning in Week 2. He is tied with Anthony Zettle as the sack leader on the Lions defense after struggling with yet another season of injuries. He missed training camp ahead of the 2017 regular season due to a bad knee and has been limited on and off in practice every week.
Still, Ansah is the type of guy who isn’t afraid to challenge offensive linemen to get pressure and set the edge for the Lions, and Pro Football Focus credited the unit (with Ansah) for 67 quarterback hurries and 13 sacks.
