The Steelers enter week four in a strong position given the current state of the AFC North. They find themselves atop the division and facing an arguably weak opponent in the Texans. While Houston did just beat the Jaguars, their team isn’t a very strong one on paper.
This isn’t the Steelers team that many expected though either, and anything can happen in the NFL. That said, I have crafted my predictions for the team for week four as they hope to improve to 3-1. Here are my four bold predictions as the Steelers take on the Texans in week four this Sunday.
Steelers Desmond King gets some revenge
For the most part, I don’t buy into revenge games in the NFL. The league is a business, and while some players may hold grudges against former teams, I don’t think it impacts their play. That said, I do think we finally see something out of former Texans cornerback Desmond King this Sunday.
This isn’t due to him returning to his former team. Instead, last week saw the cornerback active for the first time this year, and while he didn’t log a snap on defense, I think we are getting close to that point. The Steelers have used a few different names in the slot on defense, but King is a better talent than any of them.
I think he gets some defensive work this week, and he has an impact. In particular, he logs a sack against the Texans and forces a fumble on a completed pass. Again, it isn’t a “revenge” game, but it is the type of impact that you can get out of a talented defender like King assuming he is acclimated to the roster.
Steelers see a familiar friend in Kendrick Green
On the flip side of things, the Steelers get to see a face that they rostered last year on the Texans in Kendrick Green. The interior offensive lineman was traded to Houston for a sixth-round pick right before the season began, and it seems like a certainty that he will be called into action this week as a starter.
As fans of this team, we should all be excited to see Green be a liability for someone else as opposed to us. His tenure with the Steelers was notably bad, going from a third-round pick starter at center to barely handing onto the team as a backup by year two. Frankly, it was shocking to see the team get anything for him.
Unfortunately, Cameron Heyward won’t be on the field to truly take advantage of this, but I like the odds of the line whooping Green this week. Keeanu Benton in particular could use his size and strength to bully Green, but any matchup he takes on is likely to be one that could be exploited for this team.
While I think King has a strong outing against his former team, the same can’t be said for
Green. The Steelers should be able to take advantage of this entire Texans line given the injuries there, but Green in particular stands out as a prime target for this defense to take advantage of.
Steelers hold the Texans to less than 25 rushing yards
Getting a little more specific here, the Texan's offense features a running back who burst onto the scene last year in Damion Pierce. The former fourth-round pick quickly became the starter, and his bruising style took the league by storm. Unfortunately, his second season has been less successful so far.
While the Texans have gotten some good reps out of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, forcing him to win the game on his own will be key. Any rookie quarterback benefits from a capable rushing game, as they can have a lot more options when it comes to plays. The Steelers need to eliminate that option this week.
Again, I go back to this rag-tag offensive line this week, and I expect the Steelers defensive line to feast this week. Despite a slower start due to the aforementioned Heyward injury, there are a lot of matchups that favor Pittsburgh this week.
The Steelers come into the game focused on stopping the run, something they have yet to really do this season. It works, and Pierce and the company struggle to get anything going. He is essentially eliminated from the game, forcing the Texans to throw more often. In total, Houston has less than 25 total yards on the ground.
The Steelers game goes as planned
The Steelers spent this entire offseason building their offense around a singular identity. They had a pair of running backs that they liked, and the goal was to feature them in this offense. A grinding style mixed in with some top-level defense seemed to be what Pittsburgh wanted to do this season.
Through three weeks, none of that has been the case. Pittsburgh has had to rely on the passing game more than anticipated, and it has had some lackluster results. The pounding running game has been inefficient once again, and neither of the Steelers backs has accumulated over 100 yards rushing this season so far.
While the Steelers defense has been able to produce some turnovers, they haven’t been the elite unit they were hyped up to be. The secondary has struggled and the run defense has been poor. This team looks nothing like what they seemingly wanted to look like from the offseason.
The Texans are a great opportunity to get everything back on track though. The defense could have a big game that limits Houston’s ability to score while the offense can settle in and play bully ball instead of relying on the short passing game. For the first time this season, the Steelers offense works as planned, and it ends with a win for the team because of it.
The Steelers have a big opportunity this week. Not only can they improve their standing in the AFC, but they can also showcase some of the hype that they captured as a team in the offseason. Keep these four bold predictions in mind as the Steelers take on the Texans this week.