- Joined
- Apr 7, 2014
- Messages
- 2,542
- Reaction score
- 4,985
- Points
- 93
The Pittsburgh Steelers got back on track and back into the win column this past Sunday evening against the Baltimore Ravens, 20-19. QB Ben Roethlisberger went 21 of 31 for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. WR Diontae Johnson led the team in receiving once again, snagging 8 receptions for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. I have to give credit where credit is due and the Steelers stuck with the run game, even when it seemed there was nothing to gain by running the football. Najee Harris led the way with 21 carries and 71 yards Sunday evening. The Steelers move to 6-5-1 on the season and are back on the road with a quick turnaround to take on the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football tonight at 8:20pm ET. Before we dive deeper into tonight’s matchup, let’s take a deeper look into last week’s matchup against the Ravens.
1) It’s Time to Get Physical
The Steelers seemed to kick the physicality into gear in last Sunday’s matchup against the Ravens. They seemed to play with more aggression and physicality on both sides of the ball. The Steelers may have found a gem off the street at the nose position in Montravius Adams, who was firing off the ball hard and gaining penetration on many opportunities. Adams even got a hand up to disrupt a pass. Another unsung hero from Sunday’s victory was offensive lineman, John Leglue. He came into the game early on to fill in for an injured B.J. Finney. Leglue played well in Finney’s absence and did well playing aggressively and opening holes for Harris. Last week, I was looking for the team to make some changes on the offensive line to play more physically. Although they didn’t do this from the get go, they were forced with making some changes due to the Finney injury and it panned out well!
2) Find a way to stop the Ravens powerful rushing attack
A key to victory for last week’s matchup was finding a way to contain QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ powerful rushing attack. The Steelers’ defense did a great job of not allowing the Ravens rushing game to dictate the game. The Steelers’ defense held the Ravens to 25 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jackson had some success early on, escaping the pocket, scrambling and gaining some yards, but the Steelers’ defense adjusted and kept contain on the quarterback for the most part of the game.
3) The Response
After a brutal loss to a division foe the week before, the Steelers seemed to respond well on Sunday. Their backs were against the wall and the Steelers needed to perform and fight to get the W. They did just that! The team had role players step up and play well. Players like Adams, Leglue, and CB Ahkello Witherspoon all stepped up in the time of need for the Steelers on Sunday. They didn’t play a perfect game by any means, but they were able to get the job done. The defense put a lot of pressure on Jackson and tallied 7 sacks on Sunday with TJ Watt and ex-Raven Chris Wormley combining for 6 of those.
1) Heavy Dose of Najee
In last week’s performance, the Steelers struggled to get any type of running game going, but stuck with it despite the struggles. Harris finished the game with 71 yards and over 20 carries on Sunday. Expect to see a repeat performance with Harris tallying over 20 carries against a Vikings’ run defense that ranks near the bottom of the league. The Steelers are undefeated (technically) with a record of 6-0-1 when Harris gets 16+ carries on the season. The Steelers should attack the Vikings’ defense where they are the weakest and feed Harris tonight!
2) Encore Performance against the Run is Needed
Another repeat performance is needed tonight for the Steelers’ defense as well. The Steelers’ defense kept contain on Jackson and company last week and it will be a key to victory this week as well. Especially with reports coming out that RB Dalvin Cook is now trending towards playing. The Steelers’ defense will have their work cut out for them regardless of who is in at running back for the Vikings’ offense tonight. Alexander Mattison isn’t exactly a light load to bring down either! Expect the Vikings to try to enforce their will against the Steelers’ run defense with both running backs tonight. Will the Steelers be able to contain them?
3) Next-Men Up Once Again
The Steelers will be without CB Joe Haden, DE Isaiah Buggs, LB Robert Spillane, and OL Finney once again this week. The Steelers will need some depth pieces to step up again this week. The Steelers will have a great chance of winning tonight if players like Witherspoon, Leglue, and Adams can all step up and have a similar performance as they did this past Sunday. Witherspoon really did a fantastic job this past Sunday in relief of Haden. He finished the game with 5 solo tackles and a pass breakup. He really looked a lot better than he did when we last saw him in some game action. Let’s hope he continues to trend upward tonight against QB Kirk Cousins, WR Justin Jefferson, and company.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? What should we watch for against the Vikings tonight? Sound off in the comment section below 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) It’s Time to Get Physical
The Steelers seemed to kick the physicality into gear in last Sunday’s matchup against the Ravens. They seemed to play with more aggression and physicality on both sides of the ball. The Steelers may have found a gem off the street at the nose position in Montravius Adams, who was firing off the ball hard and gaining penetration on many opportunities. Adams even got a hand up to disrupt a pass. Another unsung hero from Sunday’s victory was offensive lineman, John Leglue. He came into the game early on to fill in for an injured B.J. Finney. Leglue played well in Finney’s absence and did well playing aggressively and opening holes for Harris. Last week, I was looking for the team to make some changes on the offensive line to play more physically. Although they didn’t do this from the get go, they were forced with making some changes due to the Finney injury and it panned out well!
2) Find a way to stop the Ravens powerful rushing attack
A key to victory for last week’s matchup was finding a way to contain QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ powerful rushing attack. The Steelers’ defense did a great job of not allowing the Ravens rushing game to dictate the game. The Steelers’ defense held the Ravens to 25 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jackson had some success early on, escaping the pocket, scrambling and gaining some yards, but the Steelers’ defense adjusted and kept contain on the quarterback for the most part of the game.
3) The Response
After a brutal loss to a division foe the week before, the Steelers seemed to respond well on Sunday. Their backs were against the wall and the Steelers needed to perform and fight to get the W. They did just that! The team had role players step up and play well. Players like Adams, Leglue, and CB Ahkello Witherspoon all stepped up in the time of need for the Steelers on Sunday. They didn’t play a perfect game by any means, but they were able to get the job done. The defense put a lot of pressure on Jackson and tallied 7 sacks on Sunday with TJ Watt and ex-Raven Chris Wormley combining for 6 of those.
Let’s take a look at 3 things we should watch for against the Vikings:
1) Heavy Dose of Najee
In last week’s performance, the Steelers struggled to get any type of running game going, but stuck with it despite the struggles. Harris finished the game with 71 yards and over 20 carries on Sunday. Expect to see a repeat performance with Harris tallying over 20 carries against a Vikings’ run defense that ranks near the bottom of the league. The Steelers are undefeated (technically) with a record of 6-0-1 when Harris gets 16+ carries on the season. The Steelers should attack the Vikings’ defense where they are the weakest and feed Harris tonight!
2) Encore Performance against the Run is Needed
Another repeat performance is needed tonight for the Steelers’ defense as well. The Steelers’ defense kept contain on Jackson and company last week and it will be a key to victory this week as well. Especially with reports coming out that RB Dalvin Cook is now trending towards playing. The Steelers’ defense will have their work cut out for them regardless of who is in at running back for the Vikings’ offense tonight. Alexander Mattison isn’t exactly a light load to bring down either! Expect the Vikings to try to enforce their will against the Steelers’ run defense with both running backs tonight. Will the Steelers be able to contain them?
Dalvin Cook passed tests on his shoulder and plans to play vs. the Steelers tonight, per @JFowlerESPN
11 days after dislocating itpic.twitter.com/PVUupWGXMx
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 9, 2021
3) Next-Men Up Once Again
The Steelers will be without CB Joe Haden, DE Isaiah Buggs, LB Robert Spillane, and OL Finney once again this week. The Steelers will need some depth pieces to step up again this week. The Steelers will have a great chance of winning tonight if players like Witherspoon, Leglue, and Adams can all step up and have a similar performance as they did this past Sunday. Witherspoon really did a fantastic job this past Sunday in relief of Haden. He finished the game with 5 solo tackles and a pass breakup. He really looked a lot better than he did when we last saw him in some game action. Let’s hope he continues to trend upward tonight against QB Kirk Cousins, WR Justin Jefferson, and company.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? What should we watch for against the Vikings tonight? Sound off in the comment section below on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
