5 players to watch this Sunday when the Steelers face the Colts
Fresh off their bye week, the Steelers will be traveling to Indianapolis to take on the Colts.
While this seems like an easy win, the Steelers still must bring their A game. The Colts are a depleted team and the Steelers have a prime opportunity to regain their confidence on offense and further cement their defense.
Here are five players to watch that could have a big impact on this weeks game…
Martavis Bryant
It almost feels redundant putting Martavis Bryant on this list, but here we are.
Bryant’s been through a lot these past couple weeks, and while he may be on Pittsburgh naughty list, for the time being, I still think he’s primed for a breakout game. Bryant may lose some playing time this week to JuJu Smith-Schuster, but we have been assured that he is still part of the Steelers game plan. I expect him to get his fair share of opportunities through his normal deep balls, screen passes, and end-arounds.
With the Colts secondary as depleted as it is, this could FINALLY be the week Bryant breaks off a big play and reminds us of the player we remember.
Ben Roethlisberger
2017 hasn’t been Ben Roethlisberger‘s best, but coming off of a bye week he may finally have his breakout game. No this isn’t just me being a cheerleader, there are good reasons to believe Roethlisberger will light up the Colts secondary.
Roethlisberger has been historically great when facing the Colts. In his past three games against Indianapolis, he has thrown for thirteen touchdowns and zero interceptions.
All the cards are falling into place for this weeks game. Smith-Schuster is continuing to grow, Bryant is hopefully over his drama, the Colts best cornerback Vontae Davis is gone, and the Colts number one pick in the draft Malik Hooker is also out for the season. I’m expecting big things from Big Ben this week.
James Harrison
Many fans have been upset with James Harrison‘s usage this season. He has played a much more limited role than anybody expected. However, this could be the week we see him unleashed in a pass-rushing role.
Just like Harrison has owned the Chiefs in the past, he has also owned the Colts. In his past three games against the team, he has gotten six sacks. And with the Colts offensive line in its typical poor state, this week’s match up is a prime opportunity for Harrison to be used.
While I expect T.J. Watt to get the majority of snaps, the Steelers could deploy Harrison as a situational pass rusher who can wreak havoc.
Marlon Mack
Marlon Mack may not be a big name, but he is not a player you should sleep on. The rookie running back could be a challenge for this Steelers front seven.
When the Steelers have struggled in run support it has largely been because of a missed tackle. This area is actually a major strength for Mack; he has the tendency to make guys miss and break off big runs.
In order to stop him, players like Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, and Mike Hilton will be key. These three have all proven to be strong in run support and they must be able to contain Mack and bring him down cleanly.
T.Y. Hilton
Nobody should need to be reminded to be wary of T.Y. Hilton. The Colts wide receiver is one of the best in the league and will be one of our secondary’s hardest tests so far.
Similar to Antonio Brown, Hilton wins with speed, route running, and his run after catch skills. The Steelers have yet to face a receiver like this other than in practice. Stopping Hilton will require a lot of discipline from our defense, meaning they must have proper technique and not let him get wide open downfield and they must be able to cleanly tackle him in the open field.
Artie Burns could be exposed because of his occasional mental lapses and Joe Haden could be exposed because of his lack of long speed. Hilton will be a player to watch and another big test for this secondary.
