Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace and the rest of the secondary face a tough challenge in Week 5 when they travel to Orchard Park to take on the high-flying Buffalo Bills passing attack.
Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace meets with the media following Wednesday's practice / Credit: Steelers.com
MVP front-runner Josh Allen sits second in passing yards per game in the league with 306.8 and is adding an extra 45.8 yards each game. Two-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs leads the NFL in receiving TDs and has the second most receptions in the NFL behind Cooper Kupp. Diggs and Allen have formed a formidable partnership since the wideout came over in a trade from the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 producing 3,166 yards on 261 receptions in 37 games wearing blue and red.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrates with wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) after Diggs scored a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla / Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee
Wallace, a perhaps underrated addition to the Steelers' backend via free agency in the off-season, returns to his first NFL home this weekend to face the dynamic duo he played against in practice for the last two seasons. He told Pittsburgh media on Wednesday the familiarity between the two offensive threats is what makes them so special.
"They've been together for a while. Josh has complete control of the offense and they just kinda know what each other is going to do which makes them dangerous," Wallace said about the Bills' Batman and Robin. "Then you have guys to complement them like Gabe (Davis). They’re so versatile. If he (Allen) sees something he’s going to make the check.”
The Steelers whole starting secondary appeared on the injury report earlier in the week, but it sounds like things are getting better according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
Steelers secondary isn’t in as much trouble as it could be, but it’s still not great.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) October 7, 2022
CB Ahkello Witherspoon is OUT
CB Cam Sutton (groin/hamstring) QUESTIONABLE
S Terrell Edmunds (concussion) QUESTIONABLE pic.twitter.com/tAy4IQhjGK
Whatever the injury situation ends up being, Wallace said this is a must-have game for the Steelers and emphasized that they can only worry about the guys they will have on the field.
“Limit those middle of the field plays I guess,” Wallace said with a smile when asked about stopping the Bills. “We know we’re giving up too many explosive plays here and we have to minimize that. We’ve got to do a better job of executing and that starts with the players taking accountability and responsibility. It’s on us.”
Steelers' Path to Success in Buffalo
The Steelers' defense came up big in their season-opening 23-13 victory at Buffalo with four turnovers including 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt registering a strip sack on Allen in the second quarter. If the Steelers are going to have a chance to even compete with the Bills, it'll be on the defense, which is without Watt, to make splash plays to get the ball back to the offense.
“We’ve got to give our offense more opportunities. We need more turnovers like we did in game one. That’s on me too, I don’t have any turnovers yet this season. That’s one of my main priorities is trying to get takeaways," Wallace said.
Wallace has six career picks with two of them coming against the Steelers. His first career interception came in 2019 with the Bills visiting the Devlin "Duck" Hodges-led Steelers. Wallace sealed the deal on a Steelers 17-10 loss picking off the Steelers signal caller in the Buffalo endzone with 15 seconds to go.
Wallace and the Steelers' defense will be crucial in helping to make life easier for Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett as he makes his first career start. It would be special for Wallace to be able to get his first pick in black and gold in a game against some old friends in Buffalo. The Steelers will need all the splash plays they can get in order to go into Buffalo and get a win for the second season in a row.
So, Steeler Nation, what do you think the Steelers need to do in order to get a win in a tough matchup? How do you think Wallace will play in his homecoming? As always send us your thoughts either on our social media feeds or in the comment section below.
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