The Steelers enter week four in a surprisingly good position. Despite a horrible start to the season and an offense and defense that have both been worse than expected, this team has a winning record and is at the top of the AFC North. They also have a very winnable matchup against the Texans this week.
Despite being one of the worst teams in the league a season ago, the Texans have been a very average unit on both defense and offense. All of this despite a rookie quarterback being at the helm. Actually, C.J. Stroud has been one of the highlights of this team. That said, this game should be a good one, and Pittsburgh has a real chance to improve to 3-1. Here are four questions the Steelers will have to answer if they want to beat the Texans.
Can the Steelers finally establish a ground game?
Entering week four, the Steelers once again find themselves as one of the worst running teams in the league. All of this despite the fact that the offseason was dedicated to building this unit into a powerful rushing force. There are a few reasons for these issues, and while the Raiders game provided the rushing offense some life, they were still lackluster.
The Texans, as mentioned, are one of the more average units in the league. This includes their rushing defense, which hasn’t been great, but also hasn’t been a liability. Looking over their roster, there isn’t a name that sticks out as a great run defender either.
The Steelers need to get their running game going this week. Assuming the offense keeps up the pace that it set last week, I see this week as a game that will be won or lost by the defense (more on that soon). That said, having a capable running game that can control the clock will be huge this week if Pittsburgh wants to win.