To steal a line from Bill Belichick, “We are on to Houston.” Last Sunday was about as embarrassing as it can get for the Steelers and that’s all I’d like to say about that. Six weeks into the season the Steelers are 3-3 and they have yet to win or lose consecutive games. In week seven the Steelers will play in front of the nation on Monday night against a well rested 3-3 Houston Texans team. Here are a few players to watch for on Monday.
J.J. Watt and possibly Jadeveon Clowney
J.J. Watt has been the defensive player in the NFL this year, if not one of the best overall NFL players. Six games into the season, Watt has four sacks, two fumble recoveries, an interception, two defensive touchdowns, and even a receiving touchdown. According to most reports Jadeveon Clowney is on pace to return from his knee injury that has sidelined him since week one.
September 14, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) during the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Texans defeated the Raiders 30-14. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Clowney might not be at full speed or play the entire game but the thought of having two physical specimens like Watt and Clowney going after Ben Roethlisberger is frightening. Last week Big Ben was only sacked twice against a depleted Cleveland Browns defensive front. However the Steelers have allowed the fourth most sacks in the league so far this year. If Ben doesn’t make quick decisions on Monday night it’s very possible he will get to spend some time with Mr. Watt and Mr. Clowney on the ground behind the line of scrimmage.
Arian Foster
I could have gone with watching the Steelers defensive line on this one, but frankly after watching the Browns run for 158 yards against them on Sunday why would I want to focus on that group again? The Steelers are allowing 4.4 yards per carry this year, ranking them 23rd in the NFL. After an injury plagued 2013 season, Arian Foster is off to a terrific start this season. Minus a hamstring injury that force him to sit out the Giants game and limited his effectiveness the Buffalo Bills, Foster has been great for the Texans offense. He has rushed for over 100 yards in four games this year. He ranks third in the league with 513 rushing yards and over the past two weeks he has four touchdowns. If the Steelers are unable to control Foster, which based on the trends and stats seems unlikely, it could be tough to get off the field in some crucial situations.
Dri Archer
Dear Dri Archer, if you plan on returning kickoffs this week please get the ball past the 20 yard line every once in a while. On six kickoffs last week the only time the Steelers started with the ball on the 20 was off of three Billy Cundiff touchbacks. Archer returned three kicks in the game. He made it out to the 14, 16, and 19 yard lines. I’m not saying he’s the reason the Steelers offense was horrible but when you put your team in bad field position it doesn’t help. When the Steelers drafted Archer I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt and I was hopeful he could make a few splash plays a game. So far other than one long play he had in the preseason, Archer has done nothing for the offense or special teams. Houston allows 26 yards per kickoff return (7th highest in the NFL), so maybe, just maybe Archer has a chance to do something this week.
There you have it Steelers Nation. Who else should we keep an eye on against Houston?