NFL Week 1: Keys for Steelers defense vs Giants
The Steelers defense is set to begin its 2020 campaign against the Giants and there are three keys to their success and a win in week one.
The Steelers begin their season on Monday night against the New York Giants. The defense had a stellar season in 2019 where they became one of the top defenses in the league again after years of being middle of the pack or worse.
The defense gets some help with Ben Roethlisberger‘s return but they still need to keep the same energy from last year. This defense paired with a healthy Big Ben and that offense have the potential to be a top seed in the AFC.
The revamped secondary and a mostly returning front seven makes for easy continuity. They must play to their strengths and key in on the weapons opponents have each week.
The Giants don’t have the weapons they once did but they do have some young talent on the offensive side of the ball. There are three keys to the defense this week that should lead to plenty of success and a week one victory.
Slow Saquon Barkley down
It is no secret Saquon Barkley is one of the best backs in the entire league. His speed and elusiveness make him dangerous in both the rushing and passing games.
Barkley averages 4.8 yards per carry in his career and is coming off back to back 1,000-yard seasons in his first two years in the league. He missed 3 games last season with injury but still eclipsed 1,000 yards and remained a key part of their pass game.
Devin Bush will be a big part of slowing him down in the passing game but will also pair with Vince Williams to help stuff running lanes and force Daniel Jones to be the one to beat them with his arm.
Key in on Evan Engram
It has been a common theme in the past few seasons that the Steelers struggle to contain athletic tight ends. Engram is as athletic as they come and could pose a big threat over the middle of the field.
The addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick is a big one to not allow anyone to take the top off the defense. His presence will do wonders in reversing course and limiting the impact these athletic tight ends can have.
While Devin Bush will have his hands full with Barkley, he was also brought in to help cover these athletic tight ends also. With his speed and coverage ability, as well as Minkah over the top, the Steelers defense has a great shot to shut down Engram on Monday night.
Create pressure to rattle Daniel Jones
Jones is in his second season after a decent rookie year. He threw 24 touchdowns but also had 12 passes intercepted as a rookie.
The Steelers pass rush is one of the best in the league and with the front seven they have, 2020 should be no different. Bud Dupree will go primarily against the rookie Andrew Thomas while T.J. Watt will line up across from Cameron Fleming.
The edge matchups are in favor of Pittsburgh which should help Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt bring some pressure from the interior line as well. If Pittsburgh can get in Jones’ face and rattle him, they allow their secondary to feast on any mistakes he makes as a result.
The Steelers defense could be in for a big day if they can follow these keys and slow any offensive momentum the Giants hope to get in week one. If they can do these three things, the Steelers should start the season on a high note and head into week two at 1-0.