Jump to content

2021 Week One GDT Steelers at Bills


Steeler Hitman

Recommended Posts

Steelers-Bills.jpg

 

When and Where: Sunday, September 12, 2021 @ 1:00 pm @ Highmark Stadium in (Orchard Park) Buffalo, NY

All  Time Series History: Steelers lead series 16 -11, but the Bills have won the last two games. Last Meeting won in Buffalo by the Bills 26-15.

 15312750.jpeg

Big Ben is 4 -1 in his career versus the Bills. Looking to get some payback from last years beatdown at the hands of the Bills

Offensive Keys to Victory - -

I think the Steelers offense will have to start fast and score often to keep up with the Bills. They will need to put up touchdowns and not field goals.  The Bills defense has made the Steelers offense struggle mightily the last two games and forced critical turnovers that changed or won the games. The offense has to be strong. One key will be the rushing attack. The Steelers have not run the ball well in the previous two games versus the Bills. Can the revised offense and new RB Najee Harris make a difference?

1. Start fast on offense.

2. Balanced is better.

3. Avoid negative pre snap penalties

4. In Najee Harris we trust.(I didn't say Davenport this time)

5. Stay out of third and long or avoid three and outs on offense

6. Hold onto the football. Avoid turnovers.

IMG_6006.jpg?fit=1242,1546&ssl=1

 

Steelers Defensive Keys to victory:

The past two games the Steelers defense did some good things to slow down the Bills offense and even created some turnovers and sacks. However, the offense did very little and had no rushing attack. The Bills defense made the Steelers offense one dimensional and played into the Bills strength.  The Steelers will need to play like they did the first six quarters against the Bills and  not the last two. 

1. Pressure Josh Allen into mistakes.

2. Let a good offense be a better defense. Keep the defense off the field.

3. Win the third down battle. Make the Bills punt and don't give the Bills offense extra chances. 

4. Stop the run.

5. Force turnovers.

6. The secondary must meet the challenge and match Wr's Stephon Diggs, Cole Beasley, and Emmanuel Sanders

  1. usatsi_13800781.jpg?resize=1024,672

No secret that the Bills are ranked as the second or third best team in the AFC. They have some predicting that they will return to the Super Bowl and even win what eluded great Bills teams of the 90's. I am a Steelers homer and I have to admit that the Bills (at least on paper) are in much better shape than the Steelers entering 2021 and offer far less questions. For the Bills it is show everyone that they have taken the next step. For the Steelers, there are many more questions. Where the Steelers the team that looked like they could beat anyone in the middle of the season or the tired, predictable, and beat up team that lost 5 of their last six games including an embarrassing beatdown in the AFC Wildcard game? 

The Steelers have a lot of questions to answer. Playing an upper echelon team like Buffalo, in their opening home game with high fan and super bowl expectations riding high. Huge opening test that may be too much for the Steelers to overcome right out the gate. Pride and proving something to themselves is a motivating factor to the Steelers and Coach Tomlin. My heart never likes going against the Steelers, but my head says that Josh Allen and company pull out the win at home. Bills over Steelers 27 - 23. Steelers play and fight hard. I wouldn't be surprised if the score was reversed either. Realistically, the Bills are the better team right now, but the better team doesn't always win. Let's hope not at least.  

th?id=OIP.yfPeBMSv8xUkzoeqcguC1QHaE6&pid

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’d feel surprisingly confident if the O-line was heathy. I think we’re in for a bad time with the rag tag line. I could live with a Chuks at LT if we had Banner on the right side. At least we’d have good run blockers. Now we’re looking at potentially a rookie LT and a proven stinker at RT. I imagine they’ll start Moore at LT and Chuks at RT. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/4/2021 at 7:42 PM, MOSteelers56 said:
Quote

I’d feel surprisingly confident if the O-line was heathy.

I am not so sure that I would feel great if they were completely healthy. The Bills have quite a bit of talent on defense and have won the past two matchups because the defense shut down the Steelers offense. Jerry Hughes, Ed Oliver, Star Lotulele, and Mario Addison pose a huge threat ibn both stuffing the run and generating pressure in the pass rush. Throw in AJ Esperanza, Harrison Phillips, Vernon Butler, Greg Rousseau, and Boogie Bashum as depth and it doesn't get any easier for the OL healthy or not. On paper, the Bills look to have an edge here in run defense or pass defense. They are very stout in the middle and have the potential to get to the QB.  

Quote

I think we’re in for a bad time with the rag tag line. I could live with a Chuks at LT if we had Banner on the right side. At least we’d have good run blockers.

Zach Banner will definitely be missed in the rushing game. He is built to be a drive blocking RT. Chuks gets a lot of flack that may not be deserved. I would argue that he was the teams second most consistent OL behind Kevin Dotson. Chuks was probably more consistent than Pouncey, DeCastro, Big Al, and Mighty Matt. Don't forget that he played out of position at RT. 

Sometimes players do things to help the team and hurt their own individual play. See Matt Feiler last year. I argued that the Steelers should have moved him back to RT right after Banner went down. Feiler looked like a far better RT than LG during his time with the Steelers. While Chuks isn't the sexy choice at RT, he can be more than serviceable and hold his own. 

Quote

Now we’re looking at potentially a rookie LT and a proven stinker at RT. I imagine they’ll start Moore at LT and Chuks at RT. 

I am more concerned with a rookie starting at LT opening week. We are putting a lot on Moore and hopefully it doesn't destroy his confidence as Buffalo's defensive line and overall defense is no joke. They are solid on the DL, at LB and in the secondary at both CB and safety. 

On paper this is not a good matchup of our OL versus the Bills DL and LB'ers. The Steelers are going to need some smoke and mirrors on offense and the defense to step up on some plays. Hopefully the Bills don't come out firing on all cylinders as they did the second half of last year's game or it can get ugly.  This is a game that you almost have to hope the Bills shoot themselves in the foot a few times to slow themselves down or stop themselves. The Steelers are no slouches, but the Bills are arguably one of the top three or four teams in the entire NFL  Any given Sunday in Buffalo and all of that aside, The Steelers will need to play their A game and the bills have to make a few mistakes. The problem is that I haven't seen a semblance of a Steelers A game since the first 28 minutes versus the Titans last year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, August4th said:

starting to wonder if we'll have Watt this week

It’s hitting the point where we’ve got to change out ways with contracts. Yea it’s great that the Rooney family can point to the fact that they honor contracts more than anyone but that’s not mattering anymore. These guys want to know that no matter what happens to them they will get their money. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, warfelg said:

It’s hitting the point where we’ve got to change out ways with contracts. Yea it’s great that the Rooney family can point to the fact that they honor contracts more than anyone but that’s not mattering anymore. These guys want to know that no matter what happens to them they will get their money. 

In my head I just picture both parties going back and forth in meaningless circles “well, we pay out more people than any team…just trust us” — “well if your going to pay me anyway, just guarantee it”. 

Im so afraid of what the long term problems that this could cause are. This happened with Bell, but at that position it’s kind of understandable. But not giving into Watt? If your on this roster, what more could you possibly do to get your contract? It would have to be so deflating team wide. It affects Minkah immediately, but any other player that could be thinking contract (DJ, Claypool, Highsmith, etc) why would you want to be here? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Overall, I agree on the matchup keys. If the Steelers go three and out on several early drives, they could find themselves down 14-21 points before half time, with the Buffalo D teeing off on Ben. The Steelers need to sustain drives to keep the D fresh, and not let the game get out of hand.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38-20 Buffalo.

OLine will struggle. Allen will pick apart our secondary.

Only chance we have is if we can rattle Josh Allen and throw his timing off with his receivers, which we couldn't do last year...at all.   

The lower the score, the better chance we have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I could see us getting our butts kicked. I'm worried about the O-line. One small glimmer of hope is that Moore is playing LT. He looked A LOT better at LT than he did at RT. Chuks worries me. He did look better last year with Dotson as opposed to Decastro. So maybe Chuks will play better next to another power RG in Turner? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...