The key to victory in the AFC North often comes down to individual matchups in the trenches. Heading into Week 3, all eyes are on how the Pittsburgh Steelers will deploy defensive star T.J. Watt against a re-tooled Cincinnati Bengals offensive line.
While Watt traditionally dominates from his usual spot off the right tackle, a subtle schematic shift over the first two weeks suggests Pittsburgh could exploit Cincinnati’s biggest flaw up front.
Through two games, Cincinnati right tackle Amarius Mims has been stellar, pitching pass-protection shutouts. However, left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has shown visible signs of vulnerability.
On a recent crossover episode of “Locked on Steelers,” host Christopher Carter and “Locked on Bengals” host Joe Goodberry
highlighted Brown's ongoing struggles against elite pass rushers.
"It all came against left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. who has been showing these signs of decline," Goodberry noted when analyzing Cincinnati's recent film. "He looks as slow as ever. His footwork looks bad and they kept trying to attack him. That's where they got their sacks and pressures."
While Watt prefers rushing off the defense's left edge, Pittsburgh's coaching staff has experimented with his alignment. The new defense includes a consistent rotation between Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, helping to keep opposing offenses off balance.
Watt logged six snaps over the opposing left tackle in Week 1 and another six snaps on that side in Week 2. Moving Watt around could prove decisive if Pittsburgh wants to generate quick pressure without forcing him to battle Mims unnecessarily.
"With Watt moving around a little bit more, they may try to move him over there and attack Orlando Brown on the left side and stay away from Amarius Mims a little bit," Goodberry explained.
If the Steelers hope to disrupt Cincinnati's explosive passing attack, shifting Watt over to target Brown's footwork struggles could be the exact spark Pittsburgh needs to control the line of scrimmage.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why T.J. Watt must target Orlando Brown Jr. in Week 3
