Five Steelers to keep an eye on against Jets
With their win in NFL Week 6, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 4-2 on the season but will face a highly-ranked defense when they host the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football. Another primetime game and another opportunity to show fans if they’re going to be a contender moving into the more difficult portion of their season schedule. For insights and tips on betting strategies, check out https://www.liontips.com/tips/today Here, we look at five Steelers fans should keep their eye on in this weekend’s game.
Ryan McCollum
McCollum entered the game against the Las Vegas Raiders for injured center Zach Frazier. McCollum didn’t seem to have any rust to shake off and he helped on several nice blocks, including two touchdown runs.
“What I’ve seen from (McCollum) in general, I’v seen a high intensity guy who’s a heck of a communicator, who’s mature beyond his years. I think that’s why we’re all comfortable continuing to operate the way that we operated a week ago. I think that’s why we’re excited about the opportunity that it is for him.” – head coach Mike Tomlin
The Steelers have had to adapt to an ever-changing offensive line due to injury. Having a steady center will be key against the Jets whose overall ranking is second in the league.
Russell Wilson and Justin Fields
It’s not a secret that Wilson and Fields both want their name called for Sunday’s game.
Fields has carried the offense this far while Wilson worked his way to full health. After working “in totality,” as Tomlin mentioned this week, it appears the decision will come down to game time. “We’re just walking it day by day, all geared toward putting ourselves in the best position to win the football game,” Tomlin told the media.
With Fields at quarterback, the offense has had big moments but have not been a complete unit. There have been plenty of times it stalled and was unable to to sustain drives. The ball hasn’t often been pushed down the field, but Fields has been able to get out of the pocket and use his legs.
Will Pittsburgh be more of a receiving threat with Wilson leading the offense? Can he still get out of the pocket if pressure collapses onto him? Those are just two legitimate questions… and we’ll only learn the answer if, and when, we see him play.
Najee Harris
Harris was limited in practice due to a rib issue, but it doesn’t appear to be anything serious. After his performance in Week 6, it’s understandable if he’s a bit sore after the bruising hits he took as he fought for extra yardage in the ground game.
The Jets defense is middle of the pack when it comes to stopping the run. If the offensive line can coordinate the way they did against the Raiders, especially in the second half of that game, Harris could have a big game on Sunday.
Joey Porter, Jr.
Porter has been tasked with covering the top receiver on opposing offenses this season. With the signing of Davante Adams, Porter will be busy in the Steelers defensive backfield. The Jets have utilized the pass more heavily than the run offensively so far this season.
Porter can’t be an island for all 60 minutes, though. He’ll need Minkah Fitzpatrick and Donte Jackson‘s veteran-level help and good communication as Aaron Rodgers tries to set the tempo to the receiving targets with the best matchups.
