5 reasons the Pittsburgh Steelers will win in week 1 vs the Giants

The Steelers led the league in turnovers in 2019. They tallied 20 interceptions which was good for second in the league overall.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are doing something they haven’t done in years. They are returning every starting defensive back from the previous season heading into 2020. The last time the Steelers started the same corners and safeties in two consecutive seasons was in 2006 and 2007. Chemistry and communication are important in coverage. It can also help to generate interceptions and the continuity makes those things happen a lot easier.

The Steelers are also going against second-year QB Daniel Jones. Per ProFootballReference, Jones started 12 games in his rookie season and he threw 12 picks. That comes out to averaging one interception in each start. Jones will be seeing a lot of pressure while having to throw against one of the best secondaries in the league. It is likely the Steelers will be able to take advantage of this as Jones has never played against a group of pass rushers as good as the Steelers are fielding.

Minkah Fitzpatrick is back after having an offseason with the Steelers. He joined Pittsburgh during the season in 2019 and still managed to garner all-pro honors. Now that he has had time to learn the defense even more, and grow chemistry with other starting safety Terrell Edmunds, I look for him to make a large impact in week 1.

While the Giants have ultra-talented tight end Evan Engram, They don’t have a definitive Star at wide receiver. Sterling Shepard has talent but also an extensive injury history. Golden Tate is the most proven but he suffered a hamstring injury in late August. He was able to practice Wednesday and Thursday so he will more than likely be ready to play on Monday. However, leg injuries can linger and hamper a WR’s production.

I don’t really believe the Giants have the talent at wide receiver to get a lot of separation against this stout secondary. With Dan Jones having to throw into a lot of tight windows, it is going to be interesting to see how the Steelers take advantage of him in his sophomore debut.