Seahawks vs. Steelers: 6 key matchups to watch on Sunday Night Football
Next up on the schedule the Seattle Seahawks play their second of three consecutive prime time games, visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers for an important interconference showdown on Sunday Night Football.
Even though the Steelers have the same 2-3 record as the Seahawks heading into the weekend, with starting QB Russell Wilson out this team’s margins for error will be extremely slim – especially in a hostile environment. Odds are that Seattle will need to beat Pittsburgh in several key areas of the game to keep this one close. With that in mind, here are six matchups that will help decide the outcome.
Geno Smith vs. T.J. Watt
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
This team got a harsh reminder last week of just how damaging an elite pass rusher can be. Aaron Donald only got to Russell Wilson three times, but it was more than enough to wreck the gameplan and potentially the season for Seattle’s offense – more proof that Donald is easily the most dominant interior defensive lineman of our time. For an encore, the Seahawks have to face the top edge defender in football.
T.J. Watt comes into Week 6 with the league’s highest pass rush win rate and a history of knocking quarterbacks out. Sacks are at least partially a quarterback stat, so Geno Smith has to be particularly sharp with his release time this week. Smith has to get through his progressions quickly and get rid of the ball fast or else Watt will get to him eventually, no matter what the offensive line does.
Seahawks interior OL vs. Cameron Heyward
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of Seattle’s offensive line, they’ll have their hands full with more than one disruptive force up front. Cameron Heyward has been performing at a high level for a decade now, racking up 59 sacks, 138 quarterback hits and four Pro Bowl appearances. Heyward only has one sack and two hits to his name so far this season, but those numbers are a poor indicator of his impact on the game. Heyward already has 11 pressures and hasn’t missed a tackle yet this year. He’s also the highest-graded interior lineman in the league by Pro Football Focus.
Starting guards Gabe Jackson and Damien Lewis have been mostly solid for the Seahawks this year. Kyle Fuller has had some pass protection issues, though. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron should expect Heyward and the Steelers to attack Fuller to get into the backfield.
Tyler Lockett vs. Minkah Fitzpatrick
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Geno Smith was only on the field for one quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5. That was more than enough time to prove he has a strong rapport with wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, though. If Smith can also get a rhythm going with Tyler Lockett, it will provide a massive boost for the Seahawks’ passing attack. Lockett was on fire to start the season, posting 278 yards and three touchdowns from Weeks 1-2. He has just 112 yards and hasn’t scored since, though.
When Lockett runs those deep crossers odds are at some point he will come across Pittsburgh’s starting free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, normally one of the league’s top deep-third defenders. He’s had problems this year, though – allowing two touchdowns and a 129.6 passer rating as the nearest defender and earning a 29.4 coverage grade from PFF. One mistake by Fitzpatrick back there could lead to a six-point play for Lockett – if Smith can find him.
Seahawks' run defense vs. Najee Harris
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks have problems at all three levels. Their pass rush is only average on a good day and too Darrell Taylor-heavy, their coverage is garbage all around and their rushing defense has been inconsistent at best. The worst of the run issues have generally come in the second half of games, when the defense has been worn out from major third down and time of possession problems.
Pittsburgh used its first-round pick this year on running back Najee Harris, who seems to be hitting his stride. Harris had a breakout game last week, posting 122 yards and a touchdown on just 23 carries against a tough Broncos run defense. Bobby Wagner has done fine work in this area, as he has the second-most tackles in the league, but he needs the other defenders to step up and help – especially since he’s dealing with a bruised knee.
Jamal Adams vs. Pete Carroll
(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Blitz boy. Overrated. Overpaid. Glorified weakside linebacker. By now you’ve heard all the mean jokes on Twitter about Jamal Adams’ game. While a lot of them are coming from folks who don’t understand just how special Adams is, there are some obvious problems that have to be addressed with No. 33. For his part, Adams needs to improve in coverage, as he’s been getting burnt by tight ends and slot receivers consistently this season.
Seattle’s coaching staff fairs equal share on Adams’ struggles, though. Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. has been using Adams as a blitzer only half as often as last season, when he went off for 9.5 sacks in just 12 games. Ultimately this failure is on Pete Carroll, though. He gave up two first-rounders for Adams and then signed him to a massive extension – not using him correctly after all that is a high-level coaching sin.
Ken Norton Jr. vs. Ben Roethlsiberger
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Seattle has more than just personnel problems on this end, though. On film their schematic failures have been just as glaring as the coverage screwups on the back end by Jamal Adams, Jordyn Brooks and the cornerbacks. Somehow, this Seahawks defense manages to be both too predictable and too complicated for the guys trying to make it function correctly.
At its core, this unit is too conservative, which will play right into the hands of Ben Roethlisberger. Eli Manning has moved on to Monday night commentary and Philip Rivers is coaching high school football, but Roethlisberger is still trying to compete in the NFL every week. That’s a problem for the Steelers because his arm strength is only a fraction of what it used to be. Allowing Big Ben to play the dink-and-dunk checkdown game would be asinine – defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. should be bringing pressure, playing aggressive coverage and forching Roethlisberger to prove he can still beat teams by throwing more than five yards down the field.
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