The Pittsburgh Steelers have been AFC royalty since they hired Chuck Noll to start the 1969 season. Contrary to popular opinion, they have not always been great or even good since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
The Steelers have been competitive most seasons and even in some of the down years, they have pulled off miraculous wins against superior teams. Mike Florio and Chris Simms discussed the Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills matchup at length Thursday morning on the daily Pro Football Talk. The show airs Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. on the Peacock streaming service.
Steelers offense huddles around Kenny Pickett (8) against the New York Jets. Credit: Jordan Schofield / Steeler Nation (Twitter JSKO_Photo)
“First time since the merger, the Steelers are 14-point underdogs,” Florio began. “The last team in the league since the merger to be a 14-point underdog. Seven defensive players on the injury report for the Steelers on Wednesday. It’s not going to be easy.”
The Steelers have pulled off shocking upsets in the past on seeming pride alone. The 1984 game against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, who eventually posted an 18-1 record, found that the sole blemish on their record came at home against an underdog group from Pittsburgh. The Steelers' once elite 2022 defense is now a M*A*S*H unit, but the new leader of the offense remains undaunted.
“Kenny Pickett already bringing a little swagger to the team,” Florio continued. “He said yesterday we don’t view ourselves as underdogs. Fine, take motivation from the fact that everyone else does though and see if you can go to Buffalo and shock the world like they did week one last year.”
Credit: Jordan Schofield / Steeler Nation (Twitter JSKO_Photo)
Last season in Week 1, T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward harassed Josh Allen the entire game and Ben Roethlisberger found just enough offense to beat the Bills 23-16. The Steelers blocked a punt and forced four fumbles, recovering one and sacking Allen three times. It is unlikely the black and gold based on the health of the defense can duplicate that performance. If the Steelers are to shock the world it is going to fall on the offense.
“I mean I’m picking the Bills to win the football game,” Chris Simms interjected. “We know Pittsburgh football and here is like the one area I go okay, we know it’s not dominant like the last decade, health will be important but they don’t have to really worry about a run game with Buffalo. They don’t, so they can play crazy coverages and maybe create some havoc and chaos like they did with Joe Burrow. In that game they (Bengals) became pass first and that became interceptions and sacks.”
Credit: Peter Diana/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mike Tomlin, Teryl Austin and Brian Flores will be severely tested against the Bills. The challenge will be to design a scheme with what they have on hand to force Allen into a mistake or two that can swing the game in their favor. It is rarely said when you talk about the Steelers, but the defense is very unlikely to be the key to this game if the black and gold are going to win.
“All the players on the injury report,” Florio pointed out. “Not a single offensive player didn’t practice. I don’t want to write anyone off in this crazy year, we’ve seen the Bills lose a game they won in every statistical category. The Steelers just seem to be physically overmatched in this one. Maybe with Kenny Pickett between Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, someone is going to be one on one. Let’s see how Pickett does, that’s going to be the Steelers only chance if it is a shootout.”
Florio, who created Profootballtalk.com in 2001, has been a fixture on NBC Sports for nearly 15 seasons and lives in nearby West Virginia. He has been observing the Steelers organization from up close for over two decades professionally and saying a shootout is Pittsburgh’s only chance, are words that rarely have come out of anyone’s mouth.
“I’m very interested in that point,” Simms concluded. “I love that point your making there. I could see them going, we are going to let Kenny Pickett throw it forty times because he’s smart and he knows where to deliver the football. That might be the best thing they got, let him pick you apart surgical and then maybe you get one on one with Claypool because they are sick of getting nickel and dimed down the football field.”
Mike Tomlin Coaches Up Kenny Pickett against the New York Jets. Credit: Jordan Schofield / Steeler Nation (Twitter JSKO_Photo)
The Steelers will take the field against the Bills on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Buffalo. It is the first time in six decades that everyone expects the Steelers to be blown out. The game is going to give Mike Tomlin the chance to dial up a freewheeling game plan that could be fun to watch. Pittsburgh has nothing to lose in this game and they should play like it. It is the first opportunity for the quarterback and coach combo to set a baseline, and since they are both known for swagger, that would be a good place to start.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Should the Steelers open it up and go bombs away with Pickett? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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