Key names to keep an eye on Sunday Night
It is back to Acrisure Stadium and back to primetime football as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the New York Jets in a Week 7 battle. The Steelers come in following their 32-13 thrashing of the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, the Jets enter on the heels of their third straight loss, their most recent to the Buffalo Bills.
Big news out of both camps this week as massive trades and new starters popped up in the news. To start, Davante Adams will reunite with his old pal Aaron Rodgers as the Jets acquired the Fresno State alum from Las Vegas. For Pittsburgh, Russell Wilson will get his chance to show why he should be the guy at the helm as he makes his first career regular-season start in a Steelers uniform.
There will be no shortage of talent on the field Sunday Night and it should bring an electric game. The Jets will undoubtedly play with desperation as they fight to get their season out of shambles. If the Steelers are to move to 5-2, they will have to match that level of desperation and play the Steeler football we all know and love. If that is to happen, here are five players that you can expect to be pushing such a pace.
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Alas, it is time to see what happens when Mike Tomlin lets Russ cook. The highly anticipated debut looks to be going down Sunday as Wilson meets another wily veteran in Rodgers. With Justin Fields bringing the Steelers to 4-2 and having very minimal turnovers, one would imagine the leash is short for Wilson.
Wilson and Fields certainly have similar abilities but excel in their own areas. Wilson will bring a change of pace to the Steeler’s offense as he tends to be the more typical pocket presence guy. If the Steelers offensive line can hold up and give Wilson enough time, it could be huge for the passing game which has been somewhat lackluster thus far. Expect an all-out effort from No. 3 as he looks to prove to everyone why he should be QB1.
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Maybe, just maybe, is it time for the George Pickens breakout game? Despite a few big plays throughout the first six weeks, Pickens has been very quiet. If the Steelers want to go on any sort of run down the stretch, their No. 1 receiver must be more of a factor.
Could the story change with Wilson now at the helm? That will be answered this weekend. It will not be a walk in the park for Pickens either as he faces up with one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in Sauce Gardner. With one sack and 19 tackles this year, Gardner has once again shown that he can be a nightmare for receivers. Pickens and Wilson will need to get on the same page fast if they hope to figure out this Jets defense.
C Ryan McCollum
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It will be a big week for Steelers center Ryan McCollum as he makes his first start in three years. While McCollum got reps last week after Zach Frazier went down, he has not made a start in quite some time.
McCollum ended up being a key piece in the running games’ success in the Week 6 victory over the Raiders. Now, he will have a tall task as he takes on defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Javon Kinlaw. With a strong performance this week, McCollum could play a huge role in this Steelers offense being able to fire on all cylinders.
OLB Alex Highsmith
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While his game status is not yet listed, Alex Highsmith being a full participant in both Thursday and Friday practices points to him being back on the field Sunday. Highsmith provides an unfathomable boost to the Steelers’ defense and could be exactly what they have been missing the last few weeks.
The Robin to T.J. Watt’s Batman will free up the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and give both men an even better chance to get to Rodgers. In the three games he played, Highsmith went for 11 tackles and a sack and helped the Steelers go undefeated in such time. If Highsmith gets back out there Sunday there is no doubt this Steelers defense will be buzzing.
CB Donte Jackson
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Arguably the surprise of the season on the Steelers’ defense, Donte Jackson looks to have another big game against the Jets. Jackson’s three interceptions put him fifth in the NFL through six weeks.
Jackson and Joey Porter Jr. have made the Steelers’ secondary a scary matchup for whomever they meet. This week, it will be Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. Whoever ends up matching off with one another will no doubt provide must-see TV. Rodgers and Wilson finding their chemistry over the last two weeks paired with the return of a top-three QB-WR duo in the 2010s will surely be the Steelers CBs’ biggest test yet.
You will not want to miss all the action on Sunday Night as a huge game looms. One final side note to look out for, do not expect Fields to sit on the bench all game long. A couple of package plays with Fields could spice up the game and pick the Steelers up if need be.