Intriguing Game– Week One
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
Steelers: The saying is true. It’s not how you start, but it’s how you finish. This can be applied to them, but not in a good way. After an 11-0 start in 2020, the Steelers lost five of their final six games, including a shocking loss to the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round. Whenever I think of Pittsburgh Steelers football, two things come to mind. One, the ability to pound the rock in between the tackles with the running game. Some of the best running backs in league history have worn the black and yellow. The other is a stingy, yet physical defense that prides itself on getting to the quarterback and forcing takeaways. One issue I had with them last year was the inability to run the football. Therefore, they depended on the short passing game to open the rest of the field. This was their equivalent of a “running game”. One thing I’ll say about the Pittsburgh defense is this. T.J. Watt will come in with a serious chip on his shoulder. He felt he should’ve won Defensive MVP for his efforts in 2020. Ben is back for another year, the Steelers drafted Najee Harris to fix up their ground attack and they’re ready to get this ball rolling in week one. They kick things off with a showdown against the defending AFC East division champs.
Bills: I enjoyed watching them last season. If you watched them closely, they were having so much fun every week. Everyone kept saying the Bills needed that one piece for Josh Allen to help take that offense over the top. Insert Stefon Diggs. Stefon ended up having the best season of his career. He and Josh became a top quarterback/receiver tandem in the league last year. After their best season in 25 years, the Buffalo Bills are looking to go up from here. They’re a well-balanced team with a playmaker at quarterback, a top-three wide receiver, and a defense that can turn it up when necessary. I liked two moves the Bills made during the off-season. One was the signing of veteran wide receiver, Emmanuel Sanders. He’s playing on his third team in as many years. What I like about him is he knows his role. The Bills needed another threat on the perimeter to help take pressure off Stefon. I had an issue with the running game last year. They signed Matt Brieda to bolster up the ground attack. If he can show flashes of his days with the 49ers, the Bills got themselves a gem. Week one is here! The Steelers are in town!
Steelers X-Factor: Stephon Tuitt– With Bud Dupree gone, who complements T.J. on the defense? This is where I think Stephon steps up. His pursuit of the quarterback is what grabs my attention. Even if the quarterback is running to get his extra yards, number 91 isn’t too far away from the football. With Watt commanding the attention he does, expect Stephon to see more open looks to make plays.
Bills X-Factor: Dawson Knox– With all the firepower of this Bills offense, he’s the forgotten piece of the puzzle. Dawson can do a lot for them. He runs screens and moves well with the ball in his hands, he’s a reliable target. Every quarterback has that one target in which they check the ball too. That’s what Dawson is for Josh Allen. Dawson is also a nice target in the red area. The Bills can use play-action and bam, there’s number 88 open in the back of the endzone.
Final Thoughts: This is a fun way to start the 2021 season. An up-and-coming young quarterback in Josh Allen against the elder statesmen in Ben Roethlisberger. These teams met last year and Buffalo won. One thing I’ll be watching is the Steelers offensive line. They had problems last year which contributed to their struggles down the stretch. Buffalo must get a rush on Ben and force him to hold the ball longer than he wants. I’d make him move around with his limited mobility. For Pittsburgh, keeping Josh Allen in the pocket is necessary. He appears to do his best damage out of the pocket and in space. I’d try to hit him early to send a message. Buffalo’s offensive line must stay healthy this year in order for them to advance far.
Prediction: Bills 31 Steelers 24
