The Steelers (7-5) wish to bounce again towards the Patriots (2-10) in possibly the least anticipated sport of the 12 months on “Thursday Night time Soccer.” Listed below are three must-watch gamers for Pittsburgh in Week 14.
George Pickens, large receiver
New England enters the matchup with the third-best rush protection (88.7 yards per game) within the league. The Steelers will probably not abandon the run completely with QB Kenny Pickett out, however the final result of the sport might very effectively come right down to the arm of backup QB Mitch Trubisky, who’s trying to get his playmakers the ball.
“I will be aggressive,” Trubisky said. “We wish to be an aggressive offense. So no matter which means, caring for soccer, we bought to seek out methods to attain factors.”
One of many greatest benefactors of Trubisky being aggressive will likely be Pickens. The second-year large receiver has 44 catches for 748 yards and three touchdowns on the season and he at all times appears to have his greatest video games in primetime.
Joey Porter Jr., cornerback
The Steelers fell lure to RB James Conner’s revenge sport every week in the past as he rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns. They can not let that occur once more with one other former participant in WR JuJu Smith-Schuster coming again to city.
Fortunately for Pittsburgh, it has Porter Jr., who has shortly established himself as probably the greatest corners within the 2023 NFL Draft class. The Patriots do not appear to have a transparent WR1, that means Porter Jr. might probably observe Smith-Schuster to stop one other revenge sport from occurring.
Keeanu Benton, defensive deal with
Benton, the Steelers’ No. 49 general choose on this 12 months’s draft, is coming off possibly the most effective sport of his younger NFL profession. The promising rookie posted two tackles, one pressured fumble and one move defensed as one of many solely vibrant spots within the staff’s Week 13 loss.
His efficiency earned him the highest grade of any rookie DT in Week 13 by Professional Soccer Focus and additional proved his coaches’ opinions about him proper.
“That is a man who’s going to be a pressure shifting ahead,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told reporters.
Benton is unquestionably trying to construct off of final week and shut down veteran RB Ezekiel Elliott, who would be the main again with RB Rhamondre Stevenson out with a excessive ankle sprain.