Steelers Have A Chance To Make History In Buffalo
Entering this weekend, Seventh Seeds are still searching for a win since the expansion of Wild Card Weekend. The Pittsburgh Steelers will look to change that on Sunday afternoon in the frigid weather of Buffalo, with a chance to go to Baltimore on the line.
It won't be an easy task for Mike Tomlin and company as they will run into a scorching hot Bills team that has gone undefeated since their Week 13 Bye, somehow sliding in to win the AFC East and host this playoff game after a rocky start. The Bills are on fire, but there is a path to victory for the Steelers.
One-Way Ticket To Porter Jr Island
Steelers Cornerback Joey Porter Jr’s assignment for Sunday, Stefon Diggs has been one of the best receivers in the NFL for a while now. Porter Jr will have his hands full but should certainly be up to the task. Since being inserted into the starting lineup, Porter Jr has matched up with guys like DK Metcalf, Amari Cooper, Puka Nacua, and Deandre Hopkins to name a few. Some of the elite receiving talent in the league. Diggs will be no different.
Despite leading the Bills in receiving yards with 1,185, Diggs has been in a bit of a dry patch lately. The star receiver hasn’t been able to reach the 100-yard plateau since October 15th against the Giants and has just three touchdowns in the same span. Josh Allen will certainly feel the need to force him the ball at some point and hopefully, Porter Jr will be ready. Getting Pro Bowler Minkah Fitzpatrick back will certainly be a huge boost to the Steelers secondary.
Contain Josh Allen On The Ground
Josh Allen is a threat in every way on the football field. He can throw it a mile and can run like the wind. If he can’t run around you, he’ll try going over or through you. Now that we're in the playoffs, the feeling of needing to play hero ball could be heightened. The Steelers can’t let Allen get it going with the legs on Sunday. Force him into beating you with his arm, especially given the conditions.
Allen has posted an impressive 15 rushing touchdowns on the season, second most in the NFL. On the flip side, Allen has also thrown 18 interceptions on the season, also second most in the league behind Sam Howell. Allen could also be without his number two wideout Gabe Davis who torched the Steelers last year when the team met, posting three receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
Steelers Must Run The Ball
With snow expected on Sunday in Buffalo, the conditions might not be ideal for the passing game. If the Steelers can keep the run game momentum going into the game it will get interesting. In the past two weeks, Steelers Running Back Najee Harris has posted 234 yards on 53 attempts for an average of 4.4 yards per carry. Harris has also scored three touchdowns in the past two weeks. He will be the key to success for the Steelers this Sunday.
Jaylen Warren has also been effective in the past two weeks with a smaller workload than Harris. In the past two weeks, Warren has posted 108 rushing yards on 22 attempts for 4.9 yards per carry and a touchdown. He also has caught nine passes for 40 yards, giving Quarterback Mason Rudolph an explosive weapon out of the backfield at any given time.
Making History Won’t Be Easy
The Bills will be a tough mountain to climb, and if you can conquer that one, assumed MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens will be waiting. But it’s one week at a time for the Steelers, especially without the should-be Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt who is nursing a knee injury and hopes to see the field again this season if the Steelers can advance.
The conditions are shaping up to make this a classic football game. Ground and pound, Defense heavy, Steelers football. If the Steelers can run the ball efficiently and get a good performance from a Watt-less defense, they could walk out of Buffalo with a win.
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