Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers open their season against the New York Jets tomorrow, and our staff is here with our first set of game picks for the year. Let’s dive into it.
Alex Hanczar: Going into Week 1 this might be the most unpredictable Steelers team we’ve seen in several years. A plethora of talented veterans surrounded by youth makes for an intriguing campaign. Omar Khan did everything he could to put the Steelers in a win-now position. With that said, question marks still reside in terms of the wide receiver group. If Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin III can perform as a strong WR2 and WR3, Pittsburgh could be in store for something special.
The Jets pose a threat in the opening week as quarterback Justin Fields knows the Steelers squad like the back of his hand. However, as does Aaron Rodgers. In an early test, the Steelers get the job done, narrowly winning 24-20.
Joey Bray: This is a game where the Steelers’ defense needs to take control. Even without rookie Derrick Harmon, I expect the stars to shine and suffocate what figures to be a run-heavy Jets offense. It will be in the best interest of the Steelers to put Fields in a position where he is forced to throw the ball.
That of course, starts with Aaron Rodgers, who despite not playing a snap in a Steelers uniform yet I expect to have a good day throwing the ball. Rodgers should be able to spread the ball around to Freiermuth and Jonnu. With Sauce Gardener likely shadowing DK Metcalf throughout the game, expect Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson to be heavily involved.
I think the Steelers are simply the better team in this game. I am confident that Mike Tomlin and company will take care of a Jets team with a first-year head coach and a lot of questions around them.
Steelers 20, Jets 10
Mike Nicastro: If you love offense, this probably isn’t the game for you. I’m anticipating a knockdown**,** drag-em out, slugfest.
Both the Steelers and Jets are breaking in new quarterbacks. In the case of the black and gold, their signal-caller hasn’t even taken a game snap with his new team. Justin Fields did play in the preseason, but his performances were nothing to write home about.
The best unit on the field is the Steelers’ defense. The additions of Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay will make an impact from the jump, and the Steelers will get the knockout punch.
Steelers 16, Jets 13
Ryland Bickley: Week 1 tends to throw some curveballs relative to the rest of the season, so there’s always a chance this one plays out dramatically different than we expect. Still, I have a tough time seeing Justin Fields and the Jets offense finding consistent success against any level of this Steelers defense.
I’m a bit more optimistic regarding Aaron Rodgers’ chances of leading some scoring drives against his former team. But it won’t be a barn burner, especially...
