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The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a big AFC North win against the “rival” Cleveland Browns with a final score of 15-10. Future first ballot Hall of Fame QB Ben Roethlisberger finished 22 of 34 for 266 yards and a touchdown, October’s Offensive Rookie of the Month RB Najee Harris finished the game with 26 carries, 91 yards, a touchdown on the ground and 3 receptions for another 29 yards in the passing game, while WR Diontae Johnson led the Steelers’ offense in receiving once again with 6 receptions for 98 yards. This was a huge divisional win for the Steelers to get to over .500 on the season! The Steelers make an appearance on Monday Night Football this week to take on the Chicago Bears. Before we dive deeper into that matchup, let’s take a look back at last week’s win against the Cleveland Browns.
1) The Steelers’ defense has to improve against the run, especially this week!
In a week where RB Nick Chubb was coming back after missing some time due to injury, the Steelers’ defense had to contain Chubb and the Browns’ rushing attack! They did in fact do just that. The Steelers’ defense held Chubb to 61 yards on 16 carries on Sunday afternoon. They did their job and forced the Browns to try to win the game in other ways!
2) Force a non-100% Mayfield to carry the Browns’ offense
I thought it was very important for the Steelers’ defense to force QB Baker Mayfield to shoulder the load for the Browns’ offense on Sunday. They did that by containing Chubb and company to under 100 yards rushing on the afternoon and putting pressure on the quarterback. Mayfield finished the game 20 of 31 with 225 yards and NO touchdowns. The Browns’ QB was sacked 4 times and the defense registered 6 total QB Hits.
3) Contain Myles Garrett
Going against a guy like Myles Garrett, you can only hope to contain him. You might not like reading that, Steeler Nation, but the guy is a game-wrecker! If your offensive line can prevent him from making game altering plays, you have won the day against him! The Steelers’ offensive line did just that! Although, he registered a sack, the Steelers’ offensive line prevented Garrett from making a huge impact on Sunday’s game!
1) Beware of the “trap” game
With a 19-7-1 historical record in the Bears’ favor, this is one team the Steelers seem to struggle with no matter the record. I know that this may fall under “stats that don’t matter,” but it’s hard not to think about. In my lifetime, it seems like the Steelers sometimes have trouble with what seems like “lesser” teams and seem to play down to their competition at times. The Steelers cannot allow this game to be a trap game and need to come out firing on all cylinders. The Steelers show up in primetime, and they have a 6-1 record while wearing their Color Rush uniforms. If you believe in that kind of thing, both are good signs in the superstitious category for Monday night!
2) Continue to build on the rushing attack against a weaker Bears’ run defense
It seems like the Steelers’ offense has found a way to run the ball successfully the past several weeks — enough to have RB Harris named October’s Offensive Rookie of the Month as mentioned earlier. The team has to continue to build on this along with the growth of the young offensive line, especially this week against the Bears’ 27th ranked run defense. The Bears have allowed 1,000 yards on 220 carries so far this season. Look for the Steelers to attack the Bears on the ground early and often on Monday night!
3) Don’t let Justin Fields make plays with his legs
In a division where you play QB Lamar Jackson twice a year, the Steelers’ defense knows how to contain a QB that can make plays with his legs. This will be key on Monday Night Football! Justin Fields ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown last week against the San Francisco 49ers. The Steelers have to be aware that the quarterback can take off at any sign of pressure breathing down his back. The Steelers’ defense loves to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and they should be able to do so Monday night as well, but they cannot lose contain on Fields!
What do you think, Steeler Nation? What should we watch for against the Bears on Monday Night Football? Sound off in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Last week in review
The 3 things I noted to keep an eye on last week were:
1) The Steelers’ defense has to improve against the run, especially this week!
In a week where RB Nick Chubb was coming back after missing some time due to injury, the Steelers’ defense had to contain Chubb and the Browns’ rushing attack! They did in fact do just that. The Steelers’ defense held Chubb to 61 yards on 16 carries on Sunday afternoon. They did their job and forced the Browns to try to win the game in other ways!
2) Force a non-100% Mayfield to carry the Browns’ offense
I thought it was very important for the Steelers’ defense to force QB Baker Mayfield to shoulder the load for the Browns’ offense on Sunday. They did that by containing Chubb and company to under 100 yards rushing on the afternoon and putting pressure on the quarterback. Mayfield finished the game 20 of 31 with 225 yards and NO touchdowns. The Browns’ QB was sacked 4 times and the defense registered 6 total QB Hits.
3) Contain Myles Garrett
Going against a guy like Myles Garrett, you can only hope to contain him. You might not like reading that, Steeler Nation, but the guy is a game-wrecker! If your offensive line can prevent him from making game altering plays, you have won the day against him! The Steelers’ offensive line did just that! Although, he registered a sack, the Steelers’ offensive line prevented Garrett from making a huge impact on Sunday’s game!
Let’s take a look at 3 things we should watch for against the Bears
1) Beware of the “trap” game
With a 19-7-1 historical record in the Bears’ favor, this is one team the Steelers seem to struggle with no matter the record. I know that this may fall under “stats that don’t matter,” but it’s hard not to think about. In my lifetime, it seems like the Steelers sometimes have trouble with what seems like “lesser” teams and seem to play down to their competition at times. The Steelers cannot allow this game to be a trap game and need to come out firing on all cylinders. The Steelers show up in primetime, and they have a 6-1 record while wearing their Color Rush uniforms. If you believe in that kind of thing, both are good signs in the superstitious category for Monday night!
2) Continue to build on the rushing attack against a weaker Bears’ run defense
It seems like the Steelers’ offense has found a way to run the ball successfully the past several weeks — enough to have RB Harris named October’s Offensive Rookie of the Month as mentioned earlier. The team has to continue to build on this along with the growth of the young offensive line, especially this week against the Bears’ 27th ranked run defense. The Bears have allowed 1,000 yards on 220 carries so far this season. Look for the Steelers to attack the Bears on the ground early and often on Monday night!
3) Don’t let Justin Fields make plays with his legs
In a division where you play QB Lamar Jackson twice a year, the Steelers’ defense knows how to contain a QB that can make plays with his legs. This will be key on Monday Night Football! Justin Fields ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown last week against the San Francisco 49ers. The Steelers have to be aware that the quarterback can take off at any sign of pressure breathing down his back. The Steelers’ defense loves to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and they should be able to do so Monday night as well, but they cannot lose contain on Fields!
What do you think, Steeler Nation? What should we watch for against the Bears on Monday Night Football? Sound off in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
