5 Steelers X-Factors in week 1 against the New England Patriots
By Tommy Jaggi
Devin Bush
Fans are completely amped up to see what Devin Bush has to offer, and why shouldn’t they be. Bush has been nothing short of phenomenal all training camp and preseason. However, it remains to be seen how the Steelers will go about deploying Bush against the Patriots.
Bush has incredibly rare 4.4 speed for the position to go with a terrific football IQ and uncanny instincts. Still, it’s important to remember that he turned 21 years old less than two months ago.
In his first NFL action, Devin Bush could not ask for a more significant challenge. He will be going against one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game.
Mike Tomlin listed Vince Williams and Mark Barron as the starters for Sunday night’s contest, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that those guys will see more snaps in New England.
Bush has all the makings of superstar talent, but Tom Brady knows he is inexperienced. Let’s hope Devin Bush can continue his dominant stretch of play against the defending Super Bowl Champions.
Steven Nelson
Steven Nelson is another new arrival that has Steelers fans exited, though we don’t exactly know what to expect yet.
Nelson was fantastic during limited preseason action, but a lot changes when you enter the season against the Patriots.
The former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback was the most targeted player in the league a season ago, but looks can be deceiving. The Chiefs were often well ahead in many of their games and teams were forced to throw the ball much more in an attempt to play catch-up.
Nelson has improved his overall PFF rating in each year since entering the league in 2015. The 2018 season was his best to date, as his 72.1 overall grade was good for the 33rd best cornerback in the league.
Steven Nelson is slated to start at right cornerback for Pittsburgh, and the Steelers plan on keeping him on the field often. Let’s hope he exceeds expectations in week one.