WK 1 @ NE

[ATL96Steeler]

Well fellas, and gals the NFL is finally back for real!

Coming off one of the more miserable 9-6-1 seasons to watch LY, we get to turn the page officially and sweep that crap under the rug.

Notable starters/significant snapcount guys outgoing...Antonio Brown, Leveon Bell, Jesse James, Jonathan Bostic, Coty Sensabaugh, Morgan Burnett, Marcus Gilbert

Notable starters/projected big snapcount guys incoming...Devin Bush, Mark Barron, Donta Moncrief, Diontae Johnson, Matt Feiler, Kameron Kelly

Up First...the Defending Superbowl Champion Patriots...Mike Tomlin's nemesis...he's won once in the last 5 games, that being a 17-10 win LY. Last check Vegas has NE -6.

Who hurting?

Bud Dupree, hand, likely to start.
Sean Davis, leg...at of Monday's practice Kamerson Kelly was running with the 1st team
Ola Adeniyi...knee, reportedly practice some Monday, probably will not play him this week

Nice to note Joe Haden was not on the list I saw, but it's been generally thought they were holding him for the regular season as a precaution, reportedly practiced Monday.

What to expect...one of the intrigues of week one is we really don't know what to expect. One thing I hope to see is better LB play in coverage and CBs not playing 10 yds off coverage.

I'll be up front, I'm probably never going to predict a loss even if I think they will so I won't post a prediction here, but we know they can play with NE...now they need to do it up there.

We shall see.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

With so many unknowns in regards to scheming in week 1, I tend to focus more on the coaches as a whole. And we know this will be like bringing a knife (Tomlin & Co) to a gun fight (Belichick & Co). I'm not ready to say that Fichtner is another knife in that drawer, but we know what Tomlin & Butler bring to the table, and it ain't much by way of X's & O's to exploit their opponent's weaknesses. In-game adaptation & scheme changes are an absolute must when going up against NE. And that is one of the Steelers' weaknesses. Especially on the road.

I don't think the troops need much motivation for the Patriots, being the defending SB champs. But we know Tomlin has the aptitude to stumble out of the gate when expectations are high. So I really don't know what to expect. I'm hopeful that the players themselves come out hair on fire and just simply overwhelm their matchups. Make a statement right out the gate.

Offense... Patriots defense looks a lot better on paper than it did last year. Sure they lost a top flight edge guy in Trey Flowers, but they grabbed Michael Benett. He's 33 now, but he's still an impact player. And they still have Jamie Collins. So AVill & Feiler better bring their A games. And don't discount their secondary. They have one of the deepest secondaries in the league this year. JuJu vs. Gilmore will be a marquee matchup. Ben will have his work cut out for him with his progressions. If the O-line can hold up their end of the bargain then Ben should be able to stay patient with his reads. I'd like to see a balanced approach with Fichtner's gameplan. Control the clock & don't let Ben rifle out 50+ passes, because if the offense sputters then they will let the Pats control the tempo.

Defense... I have a lot of faith in the players as a group, but the coaching gives me little to hope for in this matchup. I'm expecting NE to be run heavy for most of the game, even with a questionable O-line leading the way. The loss of their C hurts, but they signed a vet (Bodine) over the weekend that isn't projected to start. That just goes to show how much faith they have in their depth pieces. Don't be fooled into believing they have any weaknesses to exploit, but even with their starters they would have their hands full with Heyward/Tuitt/Hargrave. The front 7 needs to keep Brady off tempo. We saw in the playoffs last year that Brady was given a lot of time to work with. That can't happen if they want to win this game. Edelman is nursing a thumb injury but I'm not expecting that to hold him back. Not sure who they will have in the slot CB, but I hope its Hilton. He matches up well against Edelman, even if he notched 90yds on 7rec last year against this defense. Pats will always find a way to get him the ball. Josh Gordon got cleared to play, and they resigned Demaryius Thomas so their WR group is not lacking talent, even without their #1 draft pick slated to play.

This game will boil down to T.O.P. Whomever wins that battle should come away victorious. But something tells me that a familiar foe will rear its ugly head in this game. That being inept coaching. Seen it too many times with Tomlin, especially within the first 3-4 weeks every year.

Patriots 30 - Steelers 22

 

[ATL96Steeler]

With so many unknowns in regards to scheming in week 1, I tend to focus more on the coaches as a whole. And we know this will be like bringing a knife (Tomlin & Co) to a gun fight (Belichick & Co). I'm not ready to say that Fichtner is another knife in that drawer, but we know what Tomlin & Butler bring to the table, and it ain't much by way of X's & O's to exploit their opponent's weaknesses. In-game adaptation & scheme changes are an absolute must when going up against NE. And that is one of the Steelers' weaknesses. Especially on the road.

I don't think the troops need much motivation for the Patriots, being the defending SB champs. But we know Tomlin has the aptitude to stumble out of the gate when expectations are high. So I really don't know what to expect. I'm hopeful that the players themselves come out hair on fire and just simply overwhelm their matchups. Make a statement right out the gate.

Offense... Patriots defense looks a lot better on paper than it did last year. Sure they lost a top flight edge guy in Trey Flowers, but they grabbed Michael Benett. He's 33 now, but he's still an impact player. And they still have Jamie Collins. So AVill & Feiler better bring their A games. And don't discount their secondary. They have one of the deepest secondaries in the league this year. JuJu vs. Gilmore will be a marquee matchup. Ben will have his work cut out for him with his progressions. If the O-line can hold up their end of the bargain then Ben should be able to stay patient with his reads. I'd like to see a balanced approach with Fichtner's gameplan. Control the clock & don't let Ben rifle out 50+ passes, because if the offense sputters then they will let the Pats control the tempo.

Defense... I have a lot of faith in the players as a group, but the coaching gives me little to hope for in this matchup. I'm expecting NE to be run heavy for most of the game, even with a questionable O-line leading the way. The loss of their C hurts, but they signed a vet (Bodine) over the weekend that isn't projected to start. That just goes to show how much faith they have in their depth pieces. Don't be fooled into believing they have any weaknesses to exploit, but even with their starters they would have their hands full with Heyward/Tuitt/Hargrave. The front 7 needs to keep Brady off tempo. We saw in the playoffs last year that Brady was given a lot of time to work with. That can't happen if they want to win this game. Edelman is nursing a thumb injury but I'm not expecting that to hold him back. Not sure who they will have in the slot CB, but I hope its Hilton. He matches up well against Edelman, even if he notched 90yds on 7rec last year against this defense. Pats will always find a way to get him the ball. Josh Gordon got cleared to play, and they resigned Demaryius Thomas so their WR group is not lacking talent, even without their #1 draft pick slated to play.

This game will boil down to T.O.P. Whomever wins that battle should come away victorious. But something tells me that a familiar foe will rear its ugly head in this game. That being inept coaching. Seen it too many times with Tomlin, especially within the first 3-4 weeks every year.

Patriots 30 - Steelers 22

On OFC more so than DEF, it really doesn’t matter who their weapons are...it’s the scheme that gives Butler/Tomlin fits. To win this game in NE, the Steeler front 7 has to knock Brady around some, mix it up play some bump n run, play some off man, and when they do zone it off, gotta bring heat...a steady diet of any one of those will be solved by the NE staff.

We’ll probably get a result something like you’re predicting, but hell without JAN football last yr, I’m ready to see it nonetheless.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Steelers Depth Chart | Pittsburgh Steelers - Steelers.com

If this holds true, Barron and VWill in base? Nickel, Barron slides to Buck and Bush to Mack?

Thinking out loud here.

If so...I'm looking for NE to attack VWil via the pass and run at Barron.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Steelers Depth Chart | Pittsburgh Steelers - Steelers.com

If this holds true, Barron and VWill in base? Nickel, Barron slides to Buck and Bush to Mack?

Thinking out loud here.

If so...I'm looking for NE to attack VWil via the pass and run at Barron.

I rarely invest much into these depth charts because they rarely hold true. Baiting? Smoke & mirrors? There's just no way that Bush doesn't see at least 80% of the snaps. If not then that's simply foolishness on the coaching staff's part.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Artie Burns is listed as the 3rd kick return specialist? What the? He hasn't fielded a kickoff since his junior year of college. lol

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I rarely invest much into these depth charts because they rarely hold true. Baiting? Smoke & mirrors? There's just no way that Bush doesn't see at least 80% of the snaps. If not then that's simply foolishness on the coaching staff's part.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Guess there's more tread on those tires than I thought. Feels like Tomlin is treating this game like a playoff week. @ATL96Steeler

 

[Bridgeburner]

Until the coaching staff actually shows the ability to prepare and adjust to a team like the Patriots I will never feel good about our prospects. When they can't do their jobs it makes it harder for the players to do theirs. That said, they can still win if Ben brings his A-game.

Patriots 22
Steelers 16

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I rarely invest much into these depth charts because they rarely hold true. Baiting? Smoke & mirrors? There's just no way that Bush doesn't see at least 80% of the snaps. If not then that's simply foolishness on the coaching staff's part.

Agreed...opposing teams will look at those depth charts and knowing NE, they will have a slightly different game plan based on who is out there. We know all 3 LBs are going to play, when and how many snaps might have more to do with how the game is going.

If PIT somehow gets out to a two possession lead in the 2nd half, we'll probably see more of Barron and Bush...if it's a one possession game or they are ahead, they might try to pound it and run clock. I can see VWil and Bush being more effective...who knows, but Butler does have some options that he didn't before so hopefully it matters.

Slot CB...it will be Hilton...I don't really know who the next CB in line is if they go dime, but that's the only time I would expect to see Sutton outthere.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Agreed...opposing teams will look at those depth charts and knowing NE, they will have a slightly different game plan based on who is out there. We know all 3 LBs are going to play, when and how many snaps might have more to do with how the game is going.

If PIT somehow gets out to a two possession lead in the 2nd half, we'll probably see more of Barron and Bush...if it's a one possession game or they are ahead, they might try to pound it and run clock. I can see VWil and Bush being more effective...who knows, but Butler does have some options that he didn't before so hopefully it matters.

Slot CB...it will be Hilton...I don't really know who the next CB in line is if they go dime, but that's the only time I would expect to see Sutton outthere.

Definitely should depend on gameflow. But as those reports I posted indicate, it would appear that Tomlin is hesitant to put Bush in the deep end to start the year. I don't think Bush is prone to the same rookie curve that he's suggesting, because you don't trade up in the 1st round (top 10 no less) to select someone you think you need to treat with training wheels. On the surface it feels more like baiting the NE coaching staff. But there is something to be said about Tomlin's stupidity when it comes to overthinking things.

Slot... Well if TC is any indication I would have said Kam Kelly would see extensive time in the slot. But given Sean Davis' uncertainty in this game, I'd say Sutton is next in line. Unless they envision giving Dangerfield some reps to slide Kelly down there. I'm sure Sutton will get the call first to see if he can handle it. I think Edelman would feast on either Kelly or Sutton, but we'll have to wait & see what all the Kelly fuss is about.

 

[Bridgeburner]

One thing is for certain, this team is going to be a lot more fun to root for this year.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

One thing is for certain, this team is going to be a lot more fun to root for this year.

Agreed. 2017 & 2018 were incredibly difficult seasons to digest amidst all the drama. ESPN could do a 30 For 30 Film on those seasons.

 

[Bridgeburner]

Agreed. 2017 & 2018 were incredibly difficult seasons to digest amidst all the drama. ESPN could do a 30 For 30 Film on those seasons.

No doubt man. What a mess.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

This looks like Kelly will start and if anything happens to him, Hilton shifts to FS and Sutton moves to the slot CB.

Doesn't bother me a ton. Davis simply has not impressed.

Is it possible with a strong game vs NE that Kelly keeps this job for week 2?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

This looks like Kelly will start and if anything happens to him, Hilton shifts to FS and Sutton moves to the slot CB.

Doesn't bother me a ton. Davis simply has not impressed.

Is it possible with a strong game vs NE that Kelly keeps this job for week 2?

I would hope so! But Davis being a Tomlin guy would probably put him back in the lineup. Kelly would have to ball out, INTs + PBUs (maybe even a sack), for this decision to be forced on Tomlin. If he has a solid, yet quiet game then I’d expect Davis back to starting in short order.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I would hope so! But Davis being a Tomlin guy would probably put him back in the lineup. Kelly would have to ball out, INTs + PBUs (maybe even a sack), for this decision to be forced on Tomlin. If he has a solid, yet quiet game then I’d expect Davis back to starting in short order.

Most likely that's true....Davis certainly does have Tomlin's support, but he will have to get back on the field soon because availability weighs a lot with him...I haven't read specifically what is wrong with Davis, but I've heard high ankle. If so, it might be another week or two, and if Kelly hasn't made any major mistakes, that won't be lost on Tomlin even if he does go back to Davis.

I think Davis will have to raise his game...as you've said before to paraphrase...internal competition only make you better.