Pittsburgh Has A Second Opportunity At A Solid Footing
Photo Credit: Michael Longo via USA TODAY Sports
After an early bye week, the Pittsburgh Steelers look to extend their winning ways against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles. Head coach Mike Tomlin has been spectacular coming out of the bye, boasting a 12-4 record, not to mention that the Steelers were pretty banged up, so the week off came at the right time.
While this isn’t a complete reset, it did give the coaching staff an opportunity early in the season to fix issues that have hindered the team from firing on all cylinders. If corrected, the Steelers have an opportunity to find solid footing,
Offensive Stability
Kenny Pickett must take advantage of his full allotment of weapons. The Rams will give him opportunities down the field. He should be beaming with confidence after hitting the game winner against the Baltimore Ravens and beating one of the top cornerbacks in the league in Marlon Humphrey.
It will be important to get Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth involved early. Both are coming off hamstring injuries and have been missed greatly. Johnson especially. It seems like every catch the Steelers have made over the course of his absence has been contested. Johnson’s superior route running is bound to make life easier for Pickett.
Getting James Daniels back at left guard will give the offensive line a huge boost as well. His ability to get movement at the point of attack and the benefit of a double team should allow center Mason Cole to climb and get to second-level defenders on inside run plays.
Every Steelers fan on earth, myself included, expected a change at the offensive coordinator position. That didn’t happen, nor does it appear to be on the horizon. So the self scouting during the bye week hopefully will pay dividends and stabilize a precarious situation.
Defensive Identity
Pittsburgh got back to building their defensive identity against the Ravens. The first order of business was to stop the run and, for the most part, they accomplished that. To be a dominant defense, you have to stand on something. No better place than shutting down the run.
The Rams are a surprise team so far this season. Matthew Stafford is in the middle of a bounce back year. Led by former Steeler Kevin Dotson, who is the No. 1-rated guard according to Pro Football Focus, the 3-3 Rams offensive line is a much improved unit.
The Steel City possess two of the best edge rushers in football with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Getting outside pressure is never the issue. Getting a push from inside from Keeanu Benton, who has played well with limited opportunities, and Larry Ogunjobi will be key to eliminating escape lanes for Stafford.
After missing the first four games with a hamstring injury, Cooper Kupp has picked up right where he left off with his dominant play in the slot. Unlike last year, he has help. Puka Nacua more than picked up the slack while Kupp was out, he took the league by storm. Tutu Atwell has also been a huge contributor in the passing game.
The Steelers’ secondary has been cooked at times this season. The reluctance to play Joey Porter Jr has been mind boggling to many, especially with the struggles of both Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace. Both have struggled in man-to-man coverage. Porter has not. Against the Rams, Porter should get his highest usage rate. Using his length and strength, he can redirect and jam the LA receivers to limit the ability to get open.
The Steelers dodge a bullet with second-year running back Kyran Williams out with an injury. It’s safe to say, the Rams have weapons at their disposal.
How Can They Win
The Los Angeles defense begins and ends with Aaron Donald. The most dominating defensive tackle in the last 20 years hasn’t slowed down. Inside running lanes might be few and far between with Donald in the game as he often splits double teams without giving ground. It will be important for the boys in black and gold to try and neutralize him as much as they can.
Pittsburgh must eliminate the big play. With so many weapons at their disposal, the Rams often take shots down the field. Getting pressure on Stafford can eliminate that. He, like most quarterbacks, is much less effective on the move.
Winning early downs on both sides of the ball will also be critical. With Kupp, any down is scary. But third-and-short becomes almost unstoppable. So keeping LA in third and long situations isparamount.
The offense needs to run the ball effectively. Jaylen Warren has created quite a buzz lately with his hard downhill running. Maybe this will light a fire under Najee Harris to stop dancing to the hole and just run downhill. He is 240 lbs. Sometimes he just needs to make a hole where there might not be one.
With 12 games left, this is a big game for the team’s confidence. The Rams are a good team that present multiple challenges that will test the Steelers. If navigated correctly, Pittsburgh can get out of Los Angeles with a 4-2 record that propels them for the rest of the season
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