The Pittsburgh Steelers got to face arguably the best running back in the NFL in Week 1: Bijan Robinson. Pittsburgh was able to keep the Falcons offense in check and keep Robinson under 100 yards rushing, as Robinson finished with 83 yards on 21 carries.
He did most of his damage in the passing game, though, hauling in eight receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Overall, the Falcons ran the ball 31 times for 120 yards against the Steelers' defense.
Now, the Steelers will face a New England Patriots offense that also leaned heavily on the running game in their Week 1 Super Bowl rematch. With an injury to their top pass-catcher, A.J. Brown, and the expected return of the explosive TreVeyon Henderson, Pittsburgh should expect another heavy dose of the running game on Sunday.
TreVeyon Henderson's return could create a serious problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers
With a quarterback who came close to winning MVP and the addition of Brown, many expected the Patriots to throw the ball quite a bit in Week 1, especially with the Seahawks missing some key pieces in their secondary. Instead, New England showed what it wants its offensive identity to be: running the football.
Even with TreVeyon Henderson missing the game with an ankle injury, the Patriots ran the ball 31 times for 109 yards. Rhamondre Stevenson led the way with 18 carries for 51 yards, while Drake Maye added 47 yards on seven carries, and Corey Kiner had six carries for 11 yards.
The Patriots also lost Brown during the game after he suffered an ankle sprain that landed him on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Henderson looks ready to make his season debut. With Henderson back alongside Stevenson, expect the Patriots to lean even more on their running game with such a big piece of their passing attack missing.
The depth at wide receiver behind Brown struggled to step up against Seattle, and after Maye threw three interceptions in Week 1, establishing the run could be even more important for New England. A strong running game would allow the Patriots to take some pressure off Maye, protect the football, and bring more balance to the offense.
That means the Steelers defense should be prepared for another heavy dose of the run on Sunday. They also can't forget about Maye himself. While he's capable of beating a defense through the air, he's also dangerous with his legs, as his Week 1 performance showed. Pittsburgh will have to account for Stevenson and Henderson while also making sure Maye doesn't hurt them when he takes off and runs.
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