The Steelers will look to get their fifth straight win, but they will have to answer these key questions vs. the Lions to do so.
The Steelers barely squeaked by the Bears in Week 9 to improve their overall record to 5-3. The Lions might be the worst team in the NFL right now, so in theory, the Steelers should dominate in week 10. As was shown against the Bears though, there are no easy games in the NFL, and the Steelers will need to do whatever they can to avoid becoming the first team to lose to the Lions. Here are five key questions the Steelers will have to answer in Week 10 to beat the Lions.
Can the Steelers get some interceptions?
One of the biggest disappointments from this Steelers defense has been the lack of splash plays and turnovers. What was a strong point for this group over the past two years has suddenly become silent, as the fumbles and interceptions haven’t been as regular as they were in seasons past. The Lions have been one of the least efficient teams with the ball though, so this is the week that the team could capitalize on.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, who shockingly hasn’t sniffed an interception despite it being over the halfway mark on the season, could do well to come up big this week. He will likely cover some of the tight-end coverage, so making Jared Goff pay for forcing any pass will be big. As well, getting a corner interception on an ill-timed pass would be beneficial as well. No matter where it comes from, this group needs to add a few more interceptions to their total this week.
Can the Steelers linebackers hold up in coverage?
One of the only elements of the Lions’ offense that works well is their passing game to both D’Andre Smith and T.J. Hockenson. Both are talented receivers out of the backfield and both benefit from running routes against linebackers as opposed to regularly seeing cornerbacks. It isn’t a coincidence that both lead the Lions in yards and receptions at this point in the season.
The Steelers defense features two talented linebackers that have had varying success as coverage players. Joe Schobert has done well in timing routs and staying with his man, but he lacks the top-end athleticism to keep up with some of the faster players in the league. Devin Bush, on the other hand, has the speed but his instincts in coverage have never developed past his average play. Both can hold their own, but they face a big task this week.
If the Steelers can stop both of these receiving threats, the Lions’ offense will flounder. Even just limiting one makes the entire passing offense suddenly go through one receiver as opposed to two. This is a matchup the team can exploit. Even if one of these options (likely Swift) has some success through the air, stopping the other one limits what the Lions will be able to do on offense.
Can Steelers RB Najee Harris take charge?
The Lions’ defense, similarly to their offense, has not been very good. While there is some potential with their pass defense, their run defense has been abysmal at this point in the season. Teams are consistently picking up huge runs against them and controlling the clock. This is something that Najee Harris and the Steelers failed to do last week but need to get after this week.
While the Steelers’ offensive line took some steps back against the Bears, they face a far easier task against the Lions. No singular player has stood out for that defense yet, and some of the names have just been liabilities across the board. The Steelers would be smart to exploit this and have their game plan center on getting Harris the ball early and often.
This should be a huge week for Harris and the run game. The team should get the ball in his hands early and often if they want to have their best chance at beating the Lions. Even if it takes a drive or two for this line to gel, making sure the rushing attack is the centerpiece of this offense is critical this week. Harris should be in for a strong game this week.
Will Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt feast?
T.J. Watt is on pace to have his best season as a pro football player this season. The former first-round pick has already accumulated 11.5 sacks despite only playing in seven games so far this season. He picks apart any offensive tackle that he plays as he uses a rare blend of speed and power when rushing the quarterback. Just about every day is a good game for him, but this week has a chance to be special.
The Lions are set to start Matt Nelson at right tackle this week. The former Hawkeye was thrust into action when Taylor Decker was injured, and he has struggled heavily as a starter. The Lion’s line isn’t an extraordinary strength for this team, but Nelson is the clear weak link of the group. Watt will be lining up across from him in this game, and frankly, that should be keeping Nelson up at night now.
Watt will have an impact this week as he always does, so the question becomes just how big of an impact will it be. Watt should have little issue beating Nelson off the edge, and as a result, Goff could be bullied this week. Watt has to be licking his lips here. Assuming the Steelers take a lead, he will have a lot more freedom to rush the passer recklessly. If he does this against Nelson, his impact could be huge.
Can the Steelers win as they should?
The Steelers are on a four-game winning streak right now, and because of that, they went from having a lost season to possibly being a playoff contender. While you have to take any win you can get at the NFL level, there is a part of this that feels a little hollow. Sure, the team has ultimately won their games during this stretch, but the results have been far closer than they should have been.
The Steelers have beaten the Broncos, Seahawks, Browns, and Bears during this stint. Besides the Browns, these are some of the worst teams in the NFL (the Seahawks being there due to Russell Wilson’s injury). These games were expected wins, and in some cases, they were expected blowouts. Instead, the Steelers waivered down the stretch in the second halves and let each of these four games be decided by far fewer points than they should have.
While those teams were bad, they pale in comparison to the Lions, who are clearly the league’s worst team. The Steelers should, in theory, win this one with relative ease. As they have proven though, no win comes easy in the NFL. That said, the team could use a convincing victory here. One where they handily beat the Lions and the game is never that close. They haven’t been able to do that this season, but they will need to this week.
The Steelers are heavily favored to get their fifth consecutive win this week, but the Lions certainly won’t go down easily. A win is very possible here, but the team has to put together an entire game of solid tape. If the Steelers want to win, they will have to answer these five tough questions.