It’s game preview time, folks. Thanks to Behind the Steel Curtain, our sister site covering the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Ryland Bickley for answering a couple of questions going into this week’s Sunday
Night Football matchup against the Green Bay Packers. If you want to read our answers to their questions, the corresponding article to this one, you can find that HERE.
Everyone and their mother is going to be talking about the Aaron Rodgers angle, so let’s start there.
So, how is the whole Aaron Rodgers experience going? Going into the year, I thought there would be a bit more of a revenge game feel to this game. So far, both sides seem to be more appreciative of their time with each other more than anything else.
“The Rodgers experience has been better than most expected in Pittsburgh. He’s had his struggles dealing with pressure at times, but against Cincinnati last week he had time to throw and looked incredibly sharp outside of one pass. Surprisingly, he even had the longest toss in Next Gen Stats history on the end-of-game Hail Mary.
He’s not as otherworldly as he was during his prime in Green Bay, but this looks like the version of late-career Rodgers the Jets thought they’d be getting. Still, against better defenses like the Packers, I’d expect the Steeler offense to be more of its usual quick-game self.
As for the revenge game narrative, both sides have been saying all the right things headed into the game and it legitimately feels like there isn’t much bad blood. But I have a hard time believing this will be treated like any other game. When Rodgers and Justin Fields faced their former teams in Steelers-Jets Week 1, the leadup to the game was diplomatic but there was a bit of fire during the game and in the press conferences afterwards.
Honestly, Rodgers has been nothing but likable during his short tenure in Pittsburgh so far. I had my doubts with his fit with the Steelers, but it’s looked like a good move so far.”
What’s the feeling on T.J. Watt’s injury? He popped up on the injury report on Thursday with a hip issue after not having a status on Wednesday.
“There was never much of a worry that Watt wouldn’t play, and reports on Friday indicate he’ll be good to go Sunday night. If the hip injury is nagging at all though I think it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Now over 30 years old, Watt is still a high-level defender who commands a lot of attention up front, but he hasn’t been quite as much of a game wrecker as he was during his prime. Dealing with an ankle injury late last year, it certainly impacted his production, especially as a pass rusher who primarily wins with speed.
The good news for Pittsburgh is the team has one of the best pass rusher rotations in the NFL with Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig (who actually leads the team in sacks). In my opinion, the team doesn’t spell the starters Watt and Highsmith enough, but there’s certainly depth there if Watt can’t play his usual number of snaps.”
Update: Watt has not been given a game status on the final injury report of the week.
I know that the Steelers like to play the heaviest personnel in the league right now, with six offensive line looks and multiple tight end sets. How would you describe the offense right now to someone who hasn’t seen them play much this year?
“It’s a bizarre offense that’s felt a little too gimmicky at times for my taste, but it’s been working so far so I can’t help but love its wacky structure.
As you point out, in recent weeks the Steelers have relied on using a sixth offensive lineman as well as 6’7, 300-ish-pound tight end Darnell Washington on a good number of snaps.
It has boosted the outside run game in a big way, as the team’s extra offensive tackle Spencer Anderson is a good athlete who can pull and Washington is the rare tight end who can handle defensive ends one-on-one on the edge. That’s given what could be a one-dimensional offensive package some variety, especially as Washington is a solid pass-catching option when the team runs a play-action pass out of it.
Pittsburgh doesn’t have great wide receiver depth behind D.K. Metcalf, even if the speedy Calvin Austin III is expected back in the lineup this week after missing the last two games. As a result, receiving tight ends Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth see a lot of snaps as bona fide wide receivers as well as in-line (although Washington is the only plus blocker of the position group – thus the heavy six-O-line usage).
As a result, you get a lot of 13 personnel that looks like 11 personnel at first glance.
The Steelers have a wide variety of skill sets at the tight end position. Washington is a gargantuan blocker; Smith is a yards-after-catch specialist; Freiermuth is best as a vertical threat down the seam; and TE4 Connor Heyward is an H-back hybrid who’s used a lot as the backside blocker on split zone.
So far, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has done a good job maximizing these different playing styles to get a lot of what could look like a straightforward offense on paper. His weirdest ideas have ranged from jumping the shark a bit too much (Metcalf lined up at fullback for a snap against the Browns for some reason) to unexpected but functional (jet sweeps with Jonnu Smith have moved the chains this season).
Maybe the clock will strike midnight at some point. But it’s been a blast watching a Steeler offense with an identity this year, as unorthodox as it may be.”
Head coach Matt LaFleur brought up the fact that the Steelers have been a man-heavy defense this year. How has that been going for Pittsburgh?
“Like all NFL teams, the Steelers still run zone the majority of the time (primarily cover-3 but they’ve mixed in some more cover-2 this year) but they do use man concepts at a higher rate than most of the league.
The results have been very up and down, and some of that has to do with the Steelers bringing in two decorated but aging corners in Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey this offseason. They’ve looked like their past elite selves at times but can be hung out to dry by an overconfident coaching staff against better passing attacking. (The younger Joey Porter Jr. has looked good in man coverage, although penalties can be an issue, when healthy this season).
Ultimately, most of the blame falls on the Pittsburgh defensive scheme that just hasn’t caught up to the rest of the NFL when it comes to pre-snap disguises, communication, and match coverages. That’s how they were sliced and diced by the veteran Joe Flacco in Week 7.
And while not defensive backs, the weakest part of the Steelers’ pass defense this year has been the inside linebackers, who have really struggled with feel in zone this season. That’s a big part of why Pittsburgh continues to struggle against the quick game.”
If you guys beat the Green Bay Packers, what do you think that game looks like?
“On defense, I think it comes down to slowing down the Packers’ run game, which is still a big part of the Green Bay offense, cleaning up some communication and disguise issues on the back end, and taking advantage of turnover opportunities when Jordan Love goes deep.
On offense, the Steelers need to establish the run game and stay ahead of the sticks to survive. Some successful deep shots need to keep the defense honest. And they need to avoid the turnovers that cost them last week.
On paper, I think this game looks like a Packers victory. But Green Bay hasn’t always lived up to its standards in 2025 and Pittsburgh remains a weird team that certainly has enough firepower to get the win at home. Sunday Night Football could really go either way this week.”
