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Steeler Nation is a world-wide army that follows the legendary Pittsburgh Steelers. The Six-Time Super Bowl Champions are a franchise whose tradition dictates a standard of excellence, and their fans expect nothing less year in and year out. Those very same ideals translate to the ultimate Pittsburgh Steelers Game Day Preview, a guide that all Steelers fans read weekly to learn everything they need to know about their team and weekly opponent!
Mike Drakulich, the man behind Pittsburgh SportsNation (@PghSportsNation), who covers both Pitt football and the Steelers for NGSC Sports, brings you inside the huddle for both teams providing all NFL fans with The PSN Game Commentary, Game Prediction, Broadcast Information, and a complete breakdown of each team.
The Pittsburgh SportsNation Game Commentary
The soap opera that has become the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers has led to an interesting twist.
Like the Fall weather, changes are abroad in Western Pennsylvania, with leaves turning into beautiful shades of red and yellow, and the Steelers… well, they’re changing quarterbacks.
Despite a 4-2 start, and throwing for 1,166 yards, with five touchdowns, one interception, and 231 yards rushing and another five touchdowns, Justin Fields will take the back-up role this Sunday Night.
Russell Wilson will be making his Pittsburgh debut against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.
Head coach Mike Tomlin had better hope he’s making the right decision.
The Jets are just 2-4, but are a team that could end up battling the Steelers for a playoff spot down the road, so to say the least, this is a very big game in terms of tie breakers.
New York and Rodgers haven’t exactly flourished offensively this year, as the Jets offense is currently ranked 22nd, averaging 22.8 points per game.
However, the Jets offense should be bolstered by the arrival of wide receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the Big Apple Tuesday morning.
Adams and Rodgers were quite a tandem while members of the Green Bay Packers, combining for 68 touchdowns.
“He’s a tremendous quarterback, obviously, a Hall of Fame quarterback, a guy who has been in the league a long time,” said Steelers QB Wilson, who has faced Rodgers several times while with Seattle. “We’ve had some battles along the way. I really respect how he throws the football and how he goes about throwing it. It’s very special to watch.”
Rodgers comes into this game having thrown for 1,387 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has been sacked 16 times.
Adams will undoubtedly boost the Jets passing game alongside Garrett Wilson, who leads the team with 41 receptions for 399 yards.
Allen Lazzard is a lethal 3rd option, as he has managed a team leading five touchdowns out of his 26 catches.
Mike Williams has yet to be on the same page as Rodgers, and is unlikely to play this week with Adams coming in.
Breece Hall is the lead back, rushing for 310 yards and two touchdowns, and is equally adept out of the backfield, catching 26 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown.
Braelon Allen is a formidable back-up to Hall, rushing for 151 yards, one touchdown, in addition to eight receptions for 72 yards.
Tyler Conklin is the Jets lone threat at tight end, and has caught 19 passes for 191 yards.
Now… back to the Steelers and Russell Wilson.
Although Mike Tomlin and most of the offensive coaches have been playing it quiet, it’s all but set in stone that Wilson will be the guy under center this Sunday night.
Fields spoke Thursday before practice and placed the blame upon himself.
“I mean, I don’t think I played good enough, if I am being real with you,” said Fields. “If I am being real with myself, I think if I did play well enough, I don’t think there would be any sort of, ‘Who should play? Who should not?’ ”
Personally, a quarterback with a 93.9 passer rating and a 66.3% completion rate isn’t playing too badly, especially with just one true top receiver on the team in George Pickens. Fields has been far from perfect, but who really is nowadays in the NFL
Hell, Patrick Mahomes has just six touchdown passes and six interceptions so far this year.
It’s not that easy, even for Mahomes when you don’t have top flight talent at receiver.
“I think Justin’s done a good job,” Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said. “By no means is anybody perfect around here, but it’s about winning.”
Fields, despite the demotion, will get his chance again, but until then…
“At the end of the day, we got a few wins,” Fields said. “Of course, I am glad about that. There’s areas that I can be better at, and I am gonna continue to work on those and continue to get better.”
So enter Russ, who gets his turn to showcase his skills at age 36.
“This is a competitive league, and we’re trying to position ourselves to be that team,” said Tomlin. “And we got a player with talent who hasn’t had an opportunity to play, so we’re going to potentially explore those things.”
The biggest question is how sharp Wilson will be. Nobody is questioning his arm or abilities as a leader, but it’s been awhile since he’s last played a game in the regular season, and now he’ll face a Jets defense ranked 2nd in the league, giving up just 273 yards a game, and just 148.3 yards a game in the air. New York is also 3rd in the NFL with 20 sacks.
The offensive line will continue its year in flux, as center Zach Frazier will be out for a week or two. He joins James Daniels, Troy Fautanu, and Nate Herbig as the latest to fall victim to the injury bug. It will be the 5th different starting line-up of the season.
Najee Harris had his best game of the year against the Raiders, rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown. Jaylen Warren returned, but looked rusty gaining just seven yards on six carries.
Cordarrelle Patterson is out again.
George Pickens has 26 receptions for 363 yards, but has yet to find the endzone, so maybe this will be the week with Wilson dropping back to pass to him.
Until an addition is made to this receiving group, it’s unlikely Wilson is going to have much more success through the air than Fields did.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth is the 2nd best option behind Pickens, until maybe Roman Wilson starts seeing passes thrown his way. So far, Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III just aren’t cutting it.
The Steelers defense, especially the pass rush, will get a big boost with the return of Alex Highsmith at outside linebacker, opposite of T.J. Watt.
Both will need to be at the top of their game and make Rodgers life as miserable as possible in the pocket, as Rodgers isn’t exactly fleet of foot, and the Jets offensive line is below average, at best.
Honestly, I’m just as curious as anyone as to what Wilson brings to this offense, and I’m dying to see it.
Will Wilson have access to the entire playbook and be able to audible at the line of scrimmage, unlike Fields was allowed?
With Wilson now in, it will be now or never for guys like Jefferson and Austin III to state their case to remain a part of the passing attack. The latest rumors, following the failure to acquire Brandon Aiyuk or Adams, have been connections to the aforementioned Mike Williams (Jets), Christian Kirk (Jaguars), and Adam Thielen (Panthers).
Make no bones about it, this is a big game for the Steelers and the Jets.
With a win, the Steelers keep pace, or possibly have a game lead over the Ravens (who face red hot Tampa Bay) if they happen to lose early Sunday. A loss by the Jets would drop them to 2-5 and leave very little room for error the rest of the season.
Adams should make the Jets offense better, but I’m not sure he’s going to just step in and shine after missing three weeks in a row and having to learn the NY offense in less than a week.
Joey Porter, Jr. is likely to shadow him, with Donte Jackson sticking on Green.
I do like the pass rush disrupting the Jets passing game with Highsmith returning and Watt always playing lights out under the lights.
The defense will have to be on their toes and expect a well balanced attack, especially with the duo of Hall and Allen running the ball.
I can’t see Wilson coming in and turning into 2015 Russell Wilson, but if OC Arthur Smith is smart, he’ll devise a game plan that gets Wilson going early with some short quick passes, finding Freiermuth across the middle, and getting Pickens involved early and often.
It would be nice to see what skill set Roman Wilson brings to the table.
Under the lights at Acrisure Stadium this Sunday night, Steeler Nation will be loud and boisterous, as they’ll expect their team to elevate their play as they usually do in Prime Time, especially after the dud of a loss to Dallas a few weeks ago at home.
You can offset an aggressive defense with a well timed screen or wheel route, and I think Smith will have some tricks up his sleeve with Wilson now in.
It won’t be easy, but this will be a game that defines the future and path that this Steelers team will follow from here on in. A win here, followed by another victory the following Monday night against the Giants at MetLife Stadium, would lead to a 6-2 start heading into the bye, and gain huge momentum heading into the 2nd half of the season, when the schedule gets increasingly more difficult.
Defense plays a bend but not break kind of game, limiting Rodgers and the Jets to 20 points or less. Expect Watt and the defense to record two or three sacks.
Wilson, aided by another strong performance by Harris and this time Warren on the ground, will find some of the lanes that Fields was missing, and make his debut a memorable one, not only throwing for 200 plus yards, but finally getting Pickens a touchdown, and leading the Steelers to a tough, but well earned victory this Sunday night.
Prediction: Steelers 24 Jets 20
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) vs New York Jets (2-4)
NFL Week 7
Vegas line: NY Jets -1.5
Game-time: Sunday, October 20th, at 8:20 PM
Venue: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Field: Natural Grass
Weather at kickoff: 64 and clear. Winds light and variable.
Broadcast Information
TV: NBC (Local: WPXI-TV channel 811 on Xfinity)
- Announcers: Mike Tirico (play-by-play) Cris Collinsworth (analyst) | Melissa Stark (field reporter)
Local Radio: Pittsburgh- 102.5 WDVE-FM & 970 WBGG-AM
- Announcers: Rob King (play-by-play) Craig Wolfley (analyst) | Max Starks & Missi Matthews (sideline)
National Radio: Westwood One Sports
- Announcers: Ryan Radtke (play-by-play) Ross Tucker (analyst)
Internet broadcast: Steelers Nation Radio (SNR) on Steelers.com
NFL Links
Scouting the Pittsburgh Steelers
Overall record: 4-2 (1st in AFC North)
Last Game: Pittsburgh 32 Las Vegas 13
Head Coach: Mike Tomlin
- 18th Season with Steelers
- Overall regular-season record: 177-102-2
- Playoff record: 8-10 (Qualified for playoffs 11 times)
Team Links
- Pittsburgh Steelers Team Roster
- Steelers Team/Individual Statistics
- Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 Schedule
Steelers Offense
- Offensive Coordinator: Arthur Smith
Offensive Stats
- Points per game: 20.7 (20th)
- Total yards per game: 298.3 (26th)
- Passing yards per game: 166.8 (28th)
- Rushing yards per game: 131.5 (9th)
QUARTERBACK
Russell Wilson | #3
Wilson makes his Steelers debut in Prime Time against the Jets. His arm and acumen isn’t a question, but will he be able to move around the pocket or complete quick passes against a fearsome pass rush employed by New York?
Passing Yards: 0 | TD Passes: 0 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Back-up: Justin Fields | #2
Fields did all he could with Wilson out, but now takes a backseat for the time being. Should see playing time in certain situations, especially in the red zone.
Passing Yards: 1,166 | TD Passes: 5 | INT’s: 1 | Sacked: 16
Rushing Yards: 231 | Rushing TD’s: 5
RUNNING BACKS
Najee Harris | #22
Harris has a bruising style of carrying the ball with a touch of finesse when needed. Good hands out of the backfield.
Rushing Yards: 376 | Rushing TD’s: 1
Receptions: 14 | Receiving Yards: 135 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Jaylen Warren | #30
Warren is a wrecking ball that always seems to get positive yardage. He is a perfect change of pace back next to Harris and should see a minimum of 5-10 carries a game when healthy.
Rushing Yards: 61 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 8 | Receiving Yards: 39 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Cordarrelle Patterson* | #84
Patterson sees plenty of time on special teams, but with his speed and game-breaking ability, has also been utilized in both rushing and catching passes out of the backfield behind Warren and Harris.
Rushing Yards: 92 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 5 | Receiving Yards: 34 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Aaron Shampklin | #33
Rushing Yards: 17 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Jonathan Ward | #35
Rushing Yards: 22 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
WIDE RECEIVERS
George Pickens | #14
Pickens is undoubtedly the top receiving threat in the Pittsburgh passing game. Needs to grow up and stop pouting when his number isn’t called.
Receptions: 26 | Receiving Yards: 363 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Van Jefferson | #11
Jefferson signed with this team and seemed nothing more than an afterthought. His hard work and effort throughout camp and preseason impressed many, but has just eight catches so far this season.
Receptions: 8 | Receiving Yards: 62 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Roman Wilson | #10
Wilson, the rookie out of Michigan, has been waiting to show off his skills after being injured ankle early in training camp. Finally made his debut against Las Vegas but did not get a pass thrown his direction.
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Calvin Austin III | #19
Austin III has plenty of skills to shine in this league. When will Arthur Smith get him the ball in space?
Receptions: 10 | Receiving Yards: 167 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Scotty Miller | #13
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 31 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Brandon Johnson | #89
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 9 | Receiving TD’s: 0
TIGHT ENDS
Pat Freiermuth | #88
Freiermuth became an afterthought in the offense under Matt Canada, but under Arthur Smith, the talented tight end out of Penn State could be headed for a career year in receptions.
Receptions: 22 | Receiving Yards: 194 | Receiving TD’s: 2
Conner Heyward | #83
Heyward is a jack of all trades, lining up at tight end, full back, and anywhere the team needs him to take advantage of his versatility.
Receptions: 4 | Receiving Yards: 29 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Darnell Washington | #80
Mount Washington is an imposing figure that could see plenty of looks inside the redzone, as he did when he caught his first career touchdown pass vs the Broncos in week two.
Receptions: 6 | Receiving Yards: 55 | Receiving TD’s: 1
MyCole Pruitt | #81
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 9 | Receiving TD’s: 0
OFFENSIVE LINE
LT: Dan Moore| #65
LG: Isaac Seumalo | #73
C: Ryan McCollum | #62
RG: Mason McCormick | #66
RT: Broderick Jones | #77
*Injured/Out
Steelers Defense
- Defensive Coordinator: Teryl Austin
- Defensive System: 3-4
Defensive Stats
- Points per game allowed: 14.3 (2nd)
- Total offensive yards per game allowed: 294.1 (8th)
- Passing yards allowed: 208.6 (13th)
- Rushing yards allowed: 85.5 (4th)
- Sacks: 14 (17th)
- Interceptions: 7 (4th)
DEFENSIVE LINE
DT: Cam Heyward | #97
Tackles: 25 | Sacks: 3
NT: Keeanu Benton | #95
Tackles: 12 | Sacks: 0
DE: Larry Ogunjobi | #99
Tackles: 17 | Sacks: 0.5
LINEBACKERS
OLB: T.J. Watt | #90
Tackles: 25 | Sacks: 4.5
ILB: Patrick Queen | #6
Tackles: 43 | Sacks: 0
ILB: Elandon Roberts | #50
Tackles: 17 | Sacks: 1
OLB: Jeremiah Moon | #49
Tackles: 2 | Sacks: 0
SECONDARY
CB: Joey Porter, Jr. | #24
Tackles: 21 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
FS: Minkah Fitzpatrick | #39
Tackles: 39 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
SS: DeShon Elliot | #25
Tackles: 45 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
CB: Donte Jackson | #26
Tackles: 18 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 3
Steelers Special Teams
PLACEKICKER
Chris Boswell | #9
Extra Points: 10-10
Field Goals: 16-17
- 1-19 yards: 0-0
- 20-29 yards: 2-2
- 30-39 yards: 4-4
- 40-49 yards: 4-4
- 50+ yards: 6-7
KICKOFF RETURNER
Aaron Shampklin | #33
Average: 25.3 | TD Returns: 0
PUNT RETURNER
Calvin Austin III | #19
Average: 10.3 | TD Returns: 0
Scouting the New York Jets
Overall record: 2-4 (3rd in AFC East)
Last game: Buffalo 23 NY Jets 20
Head Coach: Jeff Ulbrich
- In-term Season with NY Jets
- Overall regular-season record: 0-1 | 0-1 with Jets
- Playoff Record: 0-0
Team Links
Jets Offense
Offensive Stats
- Points per game: 18.8 (22nd)
- Total Offense per game: 304.3 (22nd)
- Passing yards per game: 217.2 (16th)
- Rushing yards per game: 87.2 (30th)
QUARTERBACK
Aaron Rodgers | #8
Rodgers has yet to have a break out game with the Jets, but with Davante Adams now in the mix, he and the Jets offense should start putting up numbers in the near future.
Passing Yards: 1,387 | TD Passes: 9 | INT’s: 5 | Sacked: 16
Rushing Yards: 44 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Back-up: Tyrod Taylor | #2
Passing Yards: 36 | TD Passes: 1 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 7 | Rushing TD’s: 0
RUNNING BACKS
Breece Hall | #20
Hall is top tier back that is a dual threat out of the backfield.
Rushing Yards: 310 | Rushing TD’s: 2
Receptions: 26 | Receiving Yards: 202 | TD’s: 1
Braelon Allen | #0
Allen, like Jaylen Warren, provides a stable back-up to Hall.
Rushing Yards: 151 | Rushing TD’s: 1
Receptions: 8 | Receiving Yards: 72 | Receiving TD’s: 1
WIDE RECEIVERS
Davante Adams | #17
Adams is one of the best in the game, and now gets reunited with Aaron Rodgers. Will he play well despite missing the last three games?
Receptions: 18 | Receiving Yards: 209 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Garrett Wilson | #5
Wilson is one of the top receivers in the NFL, and now gets to face even less pressure with Adams drawing coverage opposite side of him. Team leader in catches and receiving yards.
Receptions: 41 | Receiving Yards: 399 | Receiving TD’s: 3
Allen Lazzard | #10
Lazzard is a dangerous 3rd option in the Jets passing game. Leads the team with five touchdown receptions.
Receptions: 26 | Receiving Yards: 354 | Receiving TD’s: 5
Mike Williams | #18
Talented receiver coming back from missing most of last season. Hasn’t been on the same page with Rodgers and is unlikely to play this week.
Receptions: 10 | Receiving Yards: 145 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Xavier Gipson | #82
Receptions: 3 | Receiving Yards: 22 | Receiving TD’s: 0
TIGHT ENDS
Tyler Conklin | #83
Decent option at tight end for the Jets. Averaging 10.1 yards per catch.
Receptions: 19 | Receiving Yards: 191 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Jeremy Ruckert | #89
Receptions: 6 | Receiving Yards: 32 | Receiving TD’s: 0
*Injured/out
Jets Defense
- Defensive System: 4-3
Defensive Stats
- Points per game allowed: 18 (7th)
- Total offensive yards per game allowed: 273 (2nd)
- Passing yards allowed: 148.2 (2nd)
- Rushing yards allowed: 124.1 (17th)
- Sacks: 20 (3rd)
- Interceptions: 2 (22nd)
DEFENSIVE LINE
DE: Will McDonald IV | #99
Tackles: 12 | Sacks: 7
DT: Javin Kinlaw | #54
Tackles: 14 | Sacks: 1
DT: Quinnen Williams | #95
Tackles: 14 | Sacks: 2
DE: Michael Clemons | #72
Tackles: 10 | Sacks: 2.5
LINEBACKERS
WLB: Jamien Sherwood | #44
Tackles: 49 | Sacks: 0
MLB: C.J. Mosley | #57
Tackles: 13 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
SLB: Quincy Williams | #56
Tackles: 1 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
SECONDARY
LCB: Sauce Gardner | #1
Tackles: 19 | Sacks: 1 | INT: 0
SS: Ashtyn Davis | #21
Tackles: 12 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
FS: Tony Adams | #22
Tackles: 43 | Sacks: 1 | INT: 0
RCB: D.J. Reed | #4
Tackles: 20 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
Jets Special Teams
PLACEKICKER
Greg Zuerlein | #9
Extra Points: 11-11
Field Goals: 8-12
- 1-19 yards: 0-0
- 20-29 yards: 3-3
- 30-39 yards: 4-5
- 40-49 yards: 1-3
- 50+ yards: 0-1
KICKOFF RETURNER
Xavier Gipson | #82
Average: 26.3 | TD Returns: 0
PUNT RETURNER
Xavier Gipson | #82
Average: 8.5 | TD Returns: 0
Steelers vs Jets History
Series History: Began in 1970
Overall Record: 20-7
- Home: 10-2
- Away: 10-5
- Postseason: 2-0
Streak: Jets won the last two games.
Last regular-season meeting: Jets Win, 24-20 (Oct. 2, 2022)
Last postseason meeting: Steelers Win, 24-19 (Jan. 23, 2011)
Injury Report (10/18/24)
Pittsburgh Steelers
IR: P Cam Johnson, OL Troy Fautanu (Knee)
Out: C Zach Frazier (ankle), LB Nick Herbig (hamstring), RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson (Ankle)
Doubtful: None
Questionable: Roman Wilson (Hamstring), DT Montravius Adams (Knee)
New York Jets
IR: N/A
Out: CB Michael Carter II (Back)
Doubtful: None
Questionable: TE Tyler Conklin (Hip), CB D.J. Reed (Groin), LB Chaz Surratt (Heel)
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From Midland, "The Basketball Capital of Pennsylvania", located 35 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. This former steel town was home to storied athletes such as Dave Alston, Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, and the legendary 1965 Midland High School Basketball Team.
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