Steelers at Seahawks Matchups: Who has the edge?
At 6-4 and still in the AFC North race following two consecutive Cincinnati Bengals losses, the Pittsburgh Steelers face one of their toughest tasks of the season in Seattle on Sunday.
Experts are split on who will emerge victorious, as two of the NFL’s top offensive and defensive units will be squaring off. Let’s take a dive into the heart of every key matchup and see who really has the upper hand. (Note: Seahawks fans, please stop whining about Super Bowl XL.)
Steelers WRs vs. Seahawks DBs: The Legion of Boom is undoubtedly one of the best secondaries in football, although their numbers this year are slightly skewed. In easy wins against three hapless QBs (Colin Kaepernick, Matt Cassel and Jimmy Clausen), the Seattle defense allowed 90 total passing yards; against Ben Roethlisberger and co., don’t expect such shallow figures.
I’ve been steadfast in my belief that Antonio Brown will cross up Richard Sherman on most downs. The vertical game may be toned down, though, as All-Pro safety Earl Thomas will be playing center field. Still, given the high-tempo and high-volume of the offense, the Steelers get the nod here.
Steelers OL vs. Seahawks pass rush: This is where things will get very tricky. While Pittsburgh’s offensive line is a steady unit, there are a couple of major weaknesses that can be pounced upon. Left tackle Alejandro Villanueva is going to have the hardest afternoon of his young career trying to block Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett, an aggressive penalty machine with 6.5 sacks on the season.
If a double-team is needed, Heath Miller will probably be the man for the job, leaving Ben one less safety valve on passing plays. The Seahawks have a lot of possible avenues for blitzing Roethlisberger.
Steelers pass rush vs. Seahawks OL: The Seattle offensive line usually manages to establish the run well, but their pass blocking has been deplorable. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (wish him a happy birthday by the way) is the saving grace of his own protection; he’s basically the shorter, faster Big Ben.
Even so, Wilson has been sacked 35 times this year. Against an always-improving Pittsburgh defense front, the Seattle offensive line will be under siege all day. That brings up a whole new issue, however…
The Steelers defense practiced against Mike Vick this week to prepare for Wilson’s running prowess. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Steelers linebackers vs. Russell Wilson: What the Seahawks offense lacks in consistency is often made up for with big plays, and Wilson’s escape abilities are the reason why. Keeping a spy on Wilson is necessary to make sure he doesn’t break free – this task has inside linebacker Ryan Shazier written all over it thanks to his speed.
Containing Wilson to zero rushing yards is simply a fantasy. Limiting his rushing lanes and pressuring him to pass first is not just doable, but necessary.
Steelers DBs vs. Jimmy Graham: No matter how hard the Seahawks try to convert him, Graham will never be a ‘complete’ tight end. That should be irrelevant against the Steelers, though, especially if Seattle falls behind early.
Pittsburgh’s struggles against tight ends are well-documented. Graham should be a mastodon in the red zone and have lots of room to operate while Wilson dances behind the line of scrimmage. Key word: should. Really, Graham’s toughest opponent on Sunday won’t be anybody in the Steelers secondary, but instead his own offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell. Here’s to hoping Bevell sticks to his hard-headed ways.
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FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Steelers 24, Seahawks 20
Stats used from ESPN.com.