Exclusive insights: 5 key questions answered behind the steel curtain ahead of Jets Steelers clash

The New York Jets lost their third straight game last week against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. Aaron Rodgers threw a late interception to end the Jets’ chances for the second game in a row, then threw his receiver, Mike Williams, under the bus in the post-game press conference. Shortly thereafter the Jets announced they had traded a third round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for Rodgers’ favorite receiver, Davante Adams.

Now the Jets take on the 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers, a team going through some turmoil of their own. Despite Justin Fields leading the Steelers to a 4-2 record and passing for a 10 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio, it appears the Steelers will be making a change at starting quarterback for this game. Russell Wilson appears set to make his first start as a Steeler, and not everyone is happy about that.

Previewing this matchup, Ryland Bickley of Behind The Steel Curtain was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers.

1. The big question for the Steelers is at quarterback, where it looks like Russell Wilson may be replacing Justin Fields as the starter. Who do you think should be the starting quarterback for the Steelers and why?

Personally, I’m in the Justin Fields camp, but since we haven’t seen Russell Wilson on the field much — he barely played in the preseason — it’s hard to definitively know who is the better option. Fields missed a lot of throws last week, but his legs remain the most consistently dynamic part of the Steelers offense and he’s good for one or two highlight-reel plays a game.

As a passer, Wilson has more experience than Fields and should be able to process a bit faster, but his time in Denver revealed that he has many of the same flaws. Without Fields’ mobility, Wilson might have a tough time debuting behind a beat-up Pittsburgh offensive line. Assuming Wilson starts in Week 7, the passing game might look a tad sharper, but I’m not confident that the offense as a whole will improve. But again, we haven’t seen much of Wilson as a Steeler. It’s hard to tell.

2. Each team’s fanbase knows their team much better than other fans. Usually there are a few guys who your team’s fans know about and love, but other fans might not be too familiar with. Could you let Jets fans know a few unsung heroes on the Steelers, if possible at least one on both offense and defense?

On offense, there are a couple names I’d usually go with who are injured heading into Sunday’s game. There’s also a receiver I’d mention but I don’t want to spoil my answer for the next question. The Steelers’ offense isn’t the most multifaceted, so I’ll dig deep for an under-the-radar player: tight end Darnell Washington. He’s a massive, 6’7, 264-pound player who has drawn offensive tackle comparisons because of just how effective he is as a blocker. The Steelers haven’t targeted him a ton this year, but when they do, his size has been an asset. It takes an army to bring him down. There’s no guarantee he’ll have a big game against the Jets, but he’s a threat in both the run and pass game.

On defense, I’ll highlight two offseason additions to the secondary: safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Donte Jackson. Both are playing opposite bigger names in Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr., but they’ve had splashier seasons thus far.

Elliott has legitimately looked like an All-Pro strong safety this season outside of a couple rough plays against the Cowboys. He’s a hard-hitting, secure tackler and everywhere on the field, with 45 total tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, an interception, three passes defensed, and 1.5 run stuffs this year. He’s been a force of nature.

At cornerback, Jackson can be a streaky player, but he’s tied for third in the NFL with three interceptions on the season. He’s also top-10 in passes defensed with six. Per PFF, he’s allowed the second-lowest passer rating in the NFL this season among cornerbacks, and he’s stepped up in run support as well.

The Steelers secondary doesn’t have great depth, but its starting lineup is full of talented players.

3. George Pickens will probably be matched up against Sauce Gardner for much of the game on Sunday. That should be a great matchup to watch, but who are the other Steelers receivers with the best chance of hurting the Jets banged up secondary?

Outside of Pickens, the Steelers’ receiver room has been an abject disaster. WR2 Van Jefferson is fifth on the team in receiving yards with just 62. Obviously, tight end Pat Freiermuth is solid in the passing game, but in terms of receivers, the only name besides Pickens who’s been much of a threat is Calvin Austin III. He has just 167 yards on the season (still good enough for third on the team), but his 4.32-speed has been apparent, even if he’s been open more than he’s been targeted. At just 5’9, 162 pounds, his small catch radius can be an issue, but he’s been a solid role player when he gets the ball. Austin is a name to watch, but I’m not confident that this receiver room will have a big game on Sunday, even with the Jets’ injuries.

4. If you were the head coach of a rival team, how would you go about attacking this Pittsburgh Steelers team on offense and on defense?

Shutting down the offense is pretty simple: The Steelers are a run-first team whether it’s effective or not, so shut down Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and OC Arthur Smith’s gameplan takes a hit. Beyond that, it’ll be important to take advantage of the Steelers’ patchwork O-line and pressure Russell Wilson, who is coming off an injury-plagued start to the year and might be a little rusty and immobile. And as referenced earlier, the Steeler passing game outside of George Pickens has struggled mightily; if Sauce Gardner can contain Pickens, the Steelers will have a tough time succeeding elsewhere.

Also, be ready for a Justin Fields package, even if Wilson starts.

On defense, Pittsburgh’s middle linebackers have struggled this season even if they had a bounce back game last week against the Raiders. Rookie slot corner Beanie Bishop Jr. has also been picked on a lot by opposing quarterbacks. It could be a big week for the short passing game for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. Davante Adams might give New York the opportunity to put Garrett Wilson in the slot at times, which could be a brutal matchup for Pittsburgh.

5. Who wins the game on Sunday, and why?

This is a very difficult game to predict, as it’s hard to tell what Davante Adams will bring to the Jets right away and what Pittsburgh’s offense will look like under Russell Wilson. I think Aaron Rodgers and his receivers will be able to score just enough here to get a close, 20-17 win. But this game could go in a number of directions.