Before you get comfortable on Sunday, expecting the Pittsburgh Steelers to walk over the hapless New York Jets, it’s important to know which players figure to play the largest role in a potential Week 1 upset.
It’s true, the Jets are easily one of the least talented teams in the NFL on paper, but they certainly aren’t without superstar talents and a few overlooked names who can turn a game on its head in an instant.
These five Jets are the players Mike Tomlin and company need their game plan to work best against to ensure that the team walks away from Week 1 with a 1 in the left-hand column.
5 Jets capable of making life difficult for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Cornerback Sauce Gardner
There’s nowhere else to start with New York than Sauce Gardner, one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Gardner hasn’t always followed opposing WR1s, but entering Year 4 with DK Metcalf being the lone proven threat out wide on Pittsburgh’s roster, that could change.
Regardless, Gardner locks down an entire third of the field, no matter who he is covering. In his career, he’s only allowed 55% of passes in his coverage area to be completed and has as many interceptions, three, as he does touchdowns allowed.
If any quarterback has some inside knowledge on how to attack Gardner, it’s Aaron Rodgers. But don’t be overly surprised if Rodgers plays favorable matchups elsewhere to avoid any unnecessary mistakes Gardner may force.
Tight end Mason Taylor
Second-round pick Mason Taylor wasn’t listed as the official starting tight end in the Jets' Week 1 depth chart released earlier this week, but Steelers fans can bet he’ll get most of the work as the TE1 for New York.
Taylor caught 55 passes for 546 yards and two scores in his final season at LSU. He finished with just over 1,300 yards on 129 receptions across three seasons. He’s a great talent, and one Justin Fields could rely on in the passing game.
Make no mistake, WR1 Garrett Wilson is still a playmaker, but the strength of the Steelers’ secondary will force Fields to make safer throws underneath. The Jets will ground and pound as long as they can and set up play-action passes to keep Fields on schedule, which could lead to a productive-if-not-electric NFL debut for Taylor.
It will be on the combined efforts of DeShon Elliott, Patrick Queen, and Payton Wilson, who claimed to be the best coverage linebacker in the NFL, to slow Taylor down and, in the process, cut off Fields’ options through the air.
Running back Braelon Allen
Second-year running back Braelon Allen isn’t the “starting” running back, but he’s a dangerous weapon for the Jets’ offense. In his rookie season, Allen had nearly 500 total yards and three scores on 111 touches. With the Jets re-focused on a three-headed rushing attack between Allen, Fields, and Breece Hall, Allen can easily be the forgotten man who has a huge impact.
Allen figures to be the David Montgomery-type back for Aaron Glenn’s offense as he comes over from Detroit. According to PFF, last season Allen received 16 carries with the Jets needing two yards or less to pick up a first down. He converted 14 of them. He’ll get even more opportunities this season, starting against Pittsburgh.
There has been plenty of buzz out of New York that Allen could take over as the primary back, especially after a frustrating three seasons from Breece Hall. Pittsburgh’s defense ranked sixth against the run a season ago, but that strength faltered down the stretch and a fifth-round rookie will be in the starting lineup.
Edge rusher Will McDonald IV
The Jets have a strong defensive front coming into 2025. While there is plenty of excitement for the return of Jermaine Johnson from an Achilles injury, third-year edge rusher Will McDonald IV returns as the Jets’ top pass rusher with 10.5 a season ago. He was 13th in the league in pressures with 61, too, according to PFF.
McDonald hasn’t been the best run defender, sporting a 39.5 PFF grade in that regard to rank among the worst edge rushers. However, his abilities as a pass-rushing specialist shouldn’t be ignored, especially with the Steelers' inexperienced offensive tackles.
Whether McDonald is lining up across from Broderick Jones or Troy Fautanu, each will have their work cut out for themselves to keep Donald out of Aaron Rodgers’ hair.
Interior defensive lineman Quinnen Williams
As important as it is to highlight McDonald, the best overall defender on the Jets roster still might be Quinnen Williams, who enters his seventh NFL season. Williams is a steady player, and though he hasn’t matched his career high of 12 sacks from 2022, the six he picked up last year are nothing to scoff at.
Williams is a dominant interior player who plays with great speed and leverage. He’ll be a thorn in the side of Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick all game long, and considering his veteran status and athletic superiority, Williams is sure to have his moments to disrupt Pittsburgh’s offense.
Pittsburgh wants to run the ball and keep Rodgers upright this season, and the goal is to hit the ground running in Week 1 in that regard. That starts with having a rock-solid plan for Williams on the inside and executing it to near perfection.