Clash
wondering if his mechanics have been compromised — especially if he's nursing his plant foot. Against Miami on Monday, he missed several throws he would normally complete with ease. More specifically, Brady short-armed passes to the sideline or deep parts of the field. Both of his interceptions were underthrown. When asked afterward whether the problem was physical or mechanical, Brady said: “I think it’s a little of everything.”
2. Receivers need to step up
Tight end Rob Gronkowski's onegame suspension, levied for a dirty hit at Buffalo in Week 13, further crippled the passing attack. Gronk will be back against the Steelers, but the loss to the Dolphins emphasized how limited the Patriot receivers are when the dominant tight end isn't drawing attention away from them. Brandin Cooks was targeted seven times Monday but caught just one ball. In fact, no wideout had a reception in the first half. The Patriots failed to convert all 11 of their third-down tries and gained a season-low 248 yards. New England appeared lost facing the relentless pass rush and disguised coverages the Dolphins utilized. It's easier said than done, but if the Steelers can limit Gronkowski and pressure Brady like the Dolphins did, New England may lack the firepower — even if newly acquired Kenny Britt is active Sunday — to compete with Pittsburgh’s high-scoring offense.
3. Thin depth in front seven is ominous
Injuries have decimated New England’s front seven. Defensive end Trey Flowers (ribs) and linebacker Kyle Van Noy (calf ) — and their combined 11 1⁄ 2 sacks — were sorely missed in Miami. Making matters worse, defensive tackle Alan Branch (knee) was forced out Monday night. New England simply couldn't disrupt Jay Cutler before the Dolphins raced to a 17-point second-half lead. “You’re not going to be able to do as much with (backups) as guys that have done a lot of things against different teams, different situations, different looks,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday in a rare moment of candor. Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell leads the NFL with 1,684 yards from scrimmage and is the type of multi-purpose threat who can take advantage of mismatches posed by an injury-weakened unit.
STEELERS 1. Mixed coverages
During an interview with USA TODAY Sports in August, Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler was asked about his takeaways from last season’s 36-17 loss to New England in the AFC title game. “I learned that we’ve got to play something else besides zone," he responded. Brady dismantled the Pittsburgh defense, completing 76.2% of his throws for 384 yards and three scores, and a repeat performance would be no surprise if the Steelers rely on zone concepts again. Butler speculated during training camp that Pittsburgh would “play a little bit more man-to-man” this year against the Patriots, which seems wise. Miami played a lot of single-high safety coverage with a linebacker playing zone in the middle of the field while cornerbacks were man-to-man on the outside. The Steelers will get a boost if cornerback Joe Haden is ready to return from a broken fibula Sunday.
2. Pittsburgh really misses Ryan Shazier
There is probably no player more important to the defense than the uber-athletic inside linebacker. And the emotional loss of Shazier, who recently underwent spinal stabilization surgery after an awkward tackle at Cincinnati, can't be understated. Schematically, the Pro Bowler normally chases running backs from sideline to sideline and monitors the shortto-intermediate space in the middle of the field on passing downs. His absence Sunday night against the Ravens was palpable. Baltimore entered the game ranked 30th in yards per game (288.5) and 18th in yards per carry (4.0) but gained 413 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per rush while Shazier watched from his hospital room. Sean Spence and Arthur Moats are trying to fill the void, but as coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday: “It’s just not a realistic discussion to talk about one guy replacing (Shazier).” The Steelers may be forced to bring a safety into the box for run support. Doing that, however, will likely be an open invite for Brady to go to the air.
3. Can Pittsburgh afford to play from behind?
The AFC North champion Steelers have won eight in a row yet have needed a game-winning field goal from Chris Boswell inside the final minute over the past three weeks. But it’s not sustainable to continue surmounting substantial deficits at the wire — especially against veteran teams like the Patriots, who are 40-11 since 2001 following a loss. Brady is 10-2 in his career against Pittsburgh and has won the last four by compiling 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Even playing on the road, Brady and Co. have a mental edge on the Steelers. But Pittsburgh may be able to neutralize that by jumping out to an early lead.
PREDICTION
Expect the Patriots to be hot early, but look for the Steelers to strike back in the second half. Lessons learned from recent failures against New England — combined with the Patriots' defensive injuries — give the Steelers a great chance, especially if Antonio Brown continues his MVP campaign with another huge performance. > Steelers 2826