In last week’s edition of the “one big matchup” series I called my shot on the Steelers tight ends having a huge day against the Seattle secondary. Whether or not I was correct is up for debate still I suppose? Jonnu Smith tied with Jaylen Warren for the most catches on the team with four each, and fellow tight end Pat Freiermuth was just one catch behind. Not much went right for the Steelers at all last Sunday, and many of the offensive numbers certainly didn’t jump off the page. However, this week I believe
the key to a Steelers victory relies heavily upon another standout game from Jaylen Warren
Jaylen Warren vs The Patriots defense
Jaylen Warren is finally getting his opportunity as the Steelers lead back, and although the protection and run game have not been great for the Steelers. Warren’s impact was very much felt last week against Seattle. His 65 yard catch and run is the longest play from scrimmage in the NFL this season. He will have another opportunity to shine against a Patriots defense that struggled mightily against Devon Achane in the passing game
The Steelers have undoubtedly struggled to get any kind of consistent running game going so far this season, but it was very much the same story for the Miami Dolphins against the New England Patriots last week. Achane himself only totaled 30 yards on 11 carries. Where Achane was able to be effective was the passing game, where he recorded 92 yards and a touchdown on 8 catches. Of course, Warren has found himself in a very similar situation to Achane where when the running game isn’t working, his impact in the passing game has to shine. Warren’s performance last Sunday also had his quarterback questioning why he doesn’t give him more opportunities to make an impact in the passing game more.
I actually think it is incredibly underrated just how essential Warren has been this season for the Steelers. Through two weeks he leads the team in rushing and receiving yards, and there is no reason to believe that his role will do anything but expand. Kenneth Gainwell seems to be the number two for now, and Kaleb Johnson’s rookie season is off to a tumultuous start to say the least.
This Patriots team is frisky. They have a lot of up and coming players and spent a lot on the defensive side of the ball in free agency, but they have not seen their defensive additions turn into results early on. The Patriots secondary was torched by Geno Smith for 362 yards passing in week one, and gave up 315 yards passing to Tua Tagovailoa in week two. The Patriots secondary could look much better this weekend however, as star cornerback Christian Gonzales could very well make his season debut against the Steelers. However, Gonzales won’t be in the area of Jaylen Warren, giving him a prime chance to expose a defense that has already given up over 600 passing yards so far this season.
How this game ends up going for either team truly feels like a toss-up to me. I feel like this is overall a very evenly matched game especially with all of the injuries on defense for the Steelers. Containing Drake Maye with a defense at less than 100 percent for Pittsburgh will cause its own set of challenges, but Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren might be able to do just enough on their own to propel the Steelers to a crucial road victory in Foxborough.
