Steelers at Patriots Week 3 Preview | Steelers Live The Match Up | Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers at Patriots Week 3 Preview | Steelers Live The Match Up | Pittsburgh Steelers

[Music] Well, it’s not Ben Rothllessberger versus Tom Brady, and the AFC Championship isn’t on the line, but Sunday’s matchup in Foxboro between the Steelers and Patriots is important for both teams who enter Sunday’s matchup with a 1 and one record. Thanks very much for being with us for the matchup presented by Shell Polymers alongside Missy Matthews and Matt Williamson. I’m Rob King and safe to say, Missy, after last week’s performance, the Steelers would like a rebound after they dropped their home opener against Seattle. Yeah, for sure. I think coming off that week one win against the Jets, you felt like things were starting to click on both sides of the ball, maybe warming up to it as coach Tomlin would say, but in the home opener, more things going wrong than right. Uh, and the things that went right in New York went wrong in Pittsburgh. Yeah, I think you could probably, Matt, look at a few plays that helped the Steelers beat the Jets and then a few plays that helped them lose to Seattle. I mean, you could easily say they they could be two and 0, but it could have gone the other way, too. So, one and one now, without question. And I don’t know that people realize so many NFL games come down to that. Most of the so many games are one-score games. And speaking of the Patriots, this was a big Bill Bich thing. He would start meetings during the week. How do we not lose week three against the Steelers? Not how do we beat them, how do you not lose? Steelers did some things to force them into losing. Okay, let’s figure out how the Steelers cannot lose against the Patriots this week. And let’s begin with the matchups with the Steelers offense going against the Patriots defense. And Missy, yours is protecting Aaron Rogers because this is the top, well, they’re tied for the top sack team in the NFL. Yeah. Nine sacks. Um, and for Aaron Rogers, he’s already been sacked seven times in two weeks, which is not what you want from a quarterback who was 41 years old. And I think they really do need to get this offense balanced. Arthur Smith talked today, it’s, you know, he doesn’t need to do something fancy or crazy, but I think the run game is something that they have to establish and have teams go against. Um, for Jaylen Warren, Aaron even said every time he touches the ball, whether it’s running the ball, catching the ball, we saw that 65 yard play, he does something good. So maybe a little bit of an increase there. Um, in terms of his snap count, but for the offensive line continuing to gel, to build to protect him. Obviously, that is their job. And I think another guy is Darnell Washington. Not just what you see him do uh for that two-point conversion or what he can do in the red zone. Arthur Smith referred to him as Shaq. But hey, he’s also a good blocker. Uh, you know, let let him play a little bit more too as well. So, definitely something they have to tighten up because seven snack sacks through two games is unacceptable. It is. And I think all of our matchups, Matt, are going to be intertwined, right? So, especially this we’re going to get to the run with me later. Maybe have to run in order to put Aaron Rogers in more advantageous situations. Then if you can do that, then you could maybe exploit perhaps the weakness of this New England defense. Yeah. And and I give New England credit. I mean, they’re a rebuilding team. They moved on from the Bellich Brady years. That’s way in the rearview mirror. And I think they got their quarterback last year, then they went and got their coach, and then they went and got their pass rush. And that’s the best three things to start with. Now they got to fill in the blanks. And the rest of their pass defense has been very generous to the opponents through two games. And I think the Steelers have to exploit that. I’d like to see more downfield shots, uh, more middle of the field passing, and Rogers has been really good, but I do think there’s more there to mine out of this particular matchup, especially if you don’t see Christian Gonzalez involved. Well, that’s what we don’t know about him. He was hurt before the preseason even began. First round pick a year ago, two years ago. He’s the Broad. Yeah, a couple years ago, he was a first round pick. So, very good player. But Missy, even with that, um, you know, look, Seattle’s secondary was banged up last week and the Steelers could not find a way to exploit that perceived weakness. Yeah, they did have, you know, the next manup mentality, some of the guys that we saw making big plays. Um, and that is something that worked well for them against the Jets, taking advantage of some guys that were not named Sauce Gardner. Um, but I do think in terms of DK and them, we have to see more of that happening and happening more frequently. Um, so I I think they can put it together. It’s only week three. You don’t want to start hitting the panic button, but as we all go through our keys and the different things that we saw go wrong week two, you need to see that step forward. Yeah. And that leads me to my key, which is the O line versus the front five of the Patriots. If the back end of the Patriots is the weakness, that front has got to be their strength. Again, we talked about the pass rush. You know, Chson has a sack and a half, I believe. Landry has three sacks. We know they can get to the the the quarterback, but they can also stop the run. They they’re averaging 58 12 yards per game running game against. And it’s only been two games and they did play Miami, which as we know is allergic to running the football, but still it is a defense that has been stout against the run. They went out and signed Milton Williams uh to a big contract. He has improved what was already a decent defensive line to begin with. Um they have some depth there, but the Steelers have got to find a way, Matt, to run the football. And again, Missy alluded to Jaylen Warren. Um he’s gotten more than 15 carries only once in his career was against Cleveland. He ran for over 120 yards. He was productive in that game. Maybe this is the time we actually see Jaylen Warren get 16, 17, 18 carries. I would think it sets up well for him to be a true bellcow this week and see how that goes. I mean, I’m not sure Johnson’s ready to be getting a lot. I think you want to dial back Gainwell’s involvement, but this is more about us than them to be honest with you. I don’t really care who the opponent is, how the first two weeks have gone. Steelers have to run the ball better, and I don’t even care who the matchup is necessarily. I mean, a lot of this game to me is do what you do well and actually put it out there on a Sunday, you know? Right. and and and it’s an interesting test. And again, you know, I you you you you go somewhere in between explaining and excusing. The Steelers don’t want anybody to make excuses for him. They certainly don’t need me to make excuses for him, but it’s still a group in which Troy Boutton, who’s starting his, you know, I well, I guess it’s his fourth game. He started one last year in Denver, but basically his third game as your starting right tackle, Brick Jones, his third game as your starting left tackle. Um, you know, I’m very bullish on what the Steelers can become, but maybe it’s going to take a little longer than we’d all like to see. Yeah, Matt, I feel like you’re usually good at this. Uh, the calm down, don’t panic just yet, but I do think I’m a little concerned. Yeah, right. That’s right. I think the way that Seahawks game went and the home opener especially does give you a little concern in terms of that. And I think new quarterback too, uh, you know, Zack Frasier and Mason McCormack, this is only year two for them. Exactly. the grizzled veterans. Zack Frasier has played with what three quarterbacks now uh in his two-year career. So, I I think for him too, it it’s a learning experience, but they need to speed it up as they’re doing it. And it is more about what the Steelers can do in terms of bouncing back than what the Patriots are doing. Although, for the Steelers offense, you’re going against a Mike Vrabel team, so you know what’s coming at you. You know what their identity is, what they want to do, and the physicality that you’re going to see. They are going to play hard for sure offensively. and defensively. Are you ready to put your knowledge on the line and play to win? The weekly challenges are back and they are bigger than ever. All season long, we’re putting your Steelers knowledge to the ultimate test. Our weekly Immaculate Prediction Challenge is now live for week three. Answer predictive game questions for your chance to win big. This week’s prediction, will Jaylen Ramsay record an interception? We’re giving away a Jaylen Ramsey autograph football, $50 Steelers Pro Shop gift card, and a classic terrible towel. There is your question. Will Jaylen Ramsay record an INT? Up next, a look at the Steelers defense versus the Patriots offense when the matchup presented by Shell Polymers resumes. [Music] Get all your Steelers gear direct from the team. Shop the Steelers Pro Shop in store or online for all things black and gold. You can get jerseys, hats, authentic memorabilia, custom gear, and exclusives you can’t find anywhere else. And of course, get the ultimate Steelers game day accessory, the terrible towel. Steelers Nation shops here. Get your gear in store or online at shop.steelers.com. [Music] Well, after consecutive four- win seasons, the Patriots are trying to accelerate their rebuild. They have a new coach in Mike Brael. They have a secondary quarterback in Drake May. They have a firstear left tackle and Will Campbell who’s looked very impressive through two games of the season. Welcome back to the matchup presented by Shell Polymers as we continue to get you ready for the Steelers and the Patriots. And we’re going to begin uh this portion of the discussion which is the Patriots offense versus the Steelers defense with a look at Drake May coming off a solid rookie season for the Patriots trying to build on that and become that franchise level quarterback. Yeah, career best day for him in a number of categories in that win over Miami. It was in Miami. I think you talked about the Miami team and what they like to do and not do. But I think for the Steelers, it’s getting to the quarterback. And I feel like we say this every week and it makes sense when you have a TJ Watt, you have the guys that obviously know Alex Smith this week, you have another defensive lineman and Isaiah Laddermilk who’s been playing going on IR. So, there are moving parts. We don’t know if Dererick Harmon’s going to play or not. But I feel like six games uh without a sack for TJ Watt. He is disrupting the game. He is stopping the run. Uh he is getting chipped non-stop. He is getting held. All of those things. But still, you need to make Drake May uncomfortable. And I think not letting him get comfortable with a Hunter Henry or one of his eligibles. He seems to be spreading the ball around right now. But I think coming off this game, it’s going to be important for the Steelers defense to really try to shut him down, get to him, hit him, and get in his face. 137.3 quarterback rating for him last week. By far the highest of his career. And as we saw in that last clip there, he’s got the ability to run. He ran for his third career touchdown. And he’s going to run for 30, 40, 50 yards a game on average. And that’s something that Steelers better be aware of, too. Yeah. And through his career, the Patriots haven’t designed a lot of runs for him. A little bit more this year with a different staff, but after watching Justin Fields in week one, they’re going to design runs for him. I mean, there’s no question in my mind. And I hate to say it, Steeler fans, but I think he’s the next great AFC quarterback that they’re going to have to deal with for the next decade plus. I’m a big Drake Mayver. Interesting. Okay. So, you know, look, uh, you mentioned Hunter Henry, right? He’s the leading receiver, tight end, uh, a guy that he can go to quite a bit. There’s some receivers on the outside, but my key is stopping these running backs. Not just in the running game. Look, we know that the Steelers running game’s been an issue, and you do have to stop these running backs in the running game, but Raandre Stevenson and Trayvon Henderson, they’re the the second and third leading receivers on the Patriots team. So, and those are those backbreaking plays, you know, a little something out of the back field, uh, enough to get a first down, and that’s a pretty sizable contribution they’re getting from the running backs. And that’s going to stress out the inside linebackers getting out there. Not all of them are wide, right? And they’re not all uh passes out in the flat. Sometimes they’re screen passes and that kind of thing. But regardless of how it happens, Missy, this puts a lot of stress on your inside linebackers to be able to tackle these guys out in space. And I think uh whether it’s been coach Tomlin or guys in the locker room, communication has been the buzzword of the week for the Steelers defense and it not being effective enough where the front and the back aren’t communicating and people aren’t knowing, aren’t sure of which gap they’re covering, the different angles and that is something that they have to clean up quickly. We heard this at the end of last season. Uh so you didn’t want to hear it because it sounded like they were working on it all throughout training camp and the preseason gearing up for the regular season. But as you said for Patrick Queen, Pton Wilson, Cole Hulkcom sounds like TA uh said today he’s going to get some more snaps. Another guy in there to try to do a better job at this because it’s also the yak yards uh that these running backs can get too when they’re involved in the passing game. I think it’s really interesting you mentioned communication as the buzzword because five Steelers defensive backs played snaps last week. None of them were the team the year before. I mean, Porter was out, Elliott was out, all these guys are new, and it’s only week two. Communication on the back end is absolutely huge. None of them have played with each other, right? Four starters down. And not only have they not played with each other, but a lot of these, you know, these pairings weren’t even in training camp together. Let’s get the ones out there. Now, let’s get the twos out there. Chuck Clark, you just signed, but I mean, you know, I didn’t even mention Peppers, who might get his, you know, he showed up a couple minutes ago, right? Again, not excuses, but potentially reasons for why these things would be issues. Um, and Matt, that leads us to your statistic, which is better tackling. It’s been good tackling has been a Steelers Hallmark, but it hasn’t been a Steelers Hallmark this year. Yeah, and I won’t bore people with the stat the statistics of it all, but last year they were basically the best tackling defense in the entire league. Thus far, they’ve been about the worst. And we do know there’s been a lot of change. There’s been a lot of injuries. I mentioned all the new defensive backs. That’s fine, but that’s not okay. You know, you can’t go from the best in a department to the worst because they’re still playing with Cam Hayward and TJ Watt, a lot of the same guys. Now, I do think Minko was an exceptional tackler and that will be missed. But I think the big problem is once I saw those numbers where you’re letting Walker, Fields, Hall get to that second level where they’re harder to tackle. They do have a lot of tackles for loss in the run game, but once they start getting past that first line, tackling’s been a real chore for this defense. And no Deshawn Elliot, who obviously is good at tackling and was last year, and the communication aspect, huge um because he has been in this defense prior to a lot of the guys who haven’t, but they’re out there without him right now. Yeah, he’s on the sideline. Not where you want him to be. And hopefully the Steelers can get him back sooner rather than later, but right now it doesn’t look like they’re going to get him back this week. Okay, so the Patriots hosting the Steelers this Sunday. It’s a matchup of one and one teams. Obviously extremely important for both teams. Kickoff uh in Foxboro is scheduled for 100 p.m. We want to thank you for watching this edition of the matchup presented by Shell Polymers. Before we sign off, we want to pass along with heavy hearts and tell you the loss of our colleague Dale Lai. You who are Steelers fans are probably aware of Dale’s passing. He passed away at age 56 after battling cancer. In addition to being on this show, Dale was also a co-host with Matt on The Drive, one of the top podcasts in the NFL, a contributor as well on steelers.com. Dale leaves behind wife Amy, sons Noah and Tanner, and daughter Meline.

Rob King, Matt Williamson, and Missi Matthews preview the Steelers Week 3 game against the Patriots and talk about which matchups to look out for

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