How can the Steelers conquer the Buffalo Bills in Week 1?

The Steelers need a Week 1 victory in order to gain momentum this season. How will they beat the Buffalo Bills?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are less than 48 hours away from their first home game of the 2021 NFL season. On Sunday, September 12th, Heinz Field will host thousands of football enthusiasts. After a few needed adjustments, the Steelers believe that they are ready for their grueling schedule.

This week, their challengers are the Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills have seen the fruits of their extensive labor sprout during the last few seasons. After several years of rebuilding, Buffalo has finally become a playoff team. The addition of veteran receiver Stefan Diggs changed the Bills’ offense tremendously.

Buffalo also stumbled across their franchise player in the 2018 NFL draft. They selected Josh Allen with their 7th pick in the first round. Allen quickly became the answer that the Bills had been searching for. In 2019, Allen led the Bills to a 10-6 record.

On December 13th, 2020, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh’s inability to build an offensive presence in the rushing game led to their 26-12 defeat. James Connor ended the night with 18 yards rushing on ten carries. Ben Roethlisberger also struggled. His two interceptions served as costly mistakes that assisted in their loss.

The Pittsburgh Steelers also struggled on the defensive side of the ball. Stefan Diggs ended the game with 10 receptions and 130 yards receiving. The Bills also finished the night with 100+ rushing yards.

In Week 1, the Steelers plan for things to end differently

The Pittsburgh Steelers must be ready to play four quarters of football this Sunday. Their task begins on defense. Keith Butler and company have the task of slowing down one of the league’s fastest developing quarterbacks. Josh Allen finished the 2020 NFL season with 4,544 passing yards and 37 touchdowns.

The Steelers’ defensive front must be able to disrupt Josh Allen’s passing pocket to create turnovers. Despite Allen’s outstanding air raid last season, he’s averaged 15 total turnovers per season. If T.J Watt and Melvin Ingram III perform upfront, Joe Haden and the Pittsburgh Steelers will capitalize on forced turnovers.

Ben Roethlisberger will be making his 18th season debut this Sunday. Unlike seasons prior, the Pittsburgh Steelers believe that they can return their way of running an offense. The addition of Najee Harris has given opponents an aspect of the game to worry focus on.

Despite Roethlisberger’s two-interception performance last December, he has shown that he is still one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the NFL. Juju Smith-Schuster and Chae Claypool must also impact the game at their positions for the running and passing offense to blend. The Steelers have a difficult game this Sunday, but many are to follow. Each game this season will be a test for a team that aspires to be successful in 2021.