The New England Patriots will reveal their sixth banner in front of the only other NFL franchise to have six Super Bowl wins on Sunday night — the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Here are three keys for the Patriots in their attempt to begin their season with a home victory.
1. Protect Tom Brady
The Steelers tied for the league-lead with 52 sacks last season and the Patriots are facing a bit of uncertainty along the offensive line.
New England will trot out their third starting left tackle in three years when 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn takes the field on Sunday. Under the tutelage of offensive line guru Donte Scarnecchia, Wynn should thrive.
More concern lies with the absence of starting center and team captain David Andrews, who will miss the season with complications over blood clots. Veteran Ted Karras will start in his place, but Russel Bodine, who recently was traded to the Patriots from the Buffalo Bills, may be in line to replace Karrass if he struggles.
Luckily, Joe Thuney. Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon round out the offensive line as experienced, perennial All-Pro players.
Between T.J. Watt as a stand-up edge rusher, and Cameron Heyward along the defensive line, Pittsburgh has two players capable of wrecking a game plan. Watt working on Wynn will be a key battle Sunday night.
2. Pressure Ben Roethlisberger
Conversely, the Patriots will need to utilize their front seven to force Roethlisberger into a hasty decision-making process. The addition of veteran Michael Bennett should give the Patriots a versatile piece to move around the defensive line in passing situations. Kyle Van Noy and Chase Winovich will also create pressure as stand-up edge rushers if the preseason is any indication. Then there’s the likes of Don’ta Hightower and Jamie Collins moving around the defensive formations as possible off-the-ball linebackers and edge rushers.
Versatility is key for a defense that seems primed for a great season. The Patriots generated a lot of pressure down the stretch last season, but this has usually been an issue on the defense since Chandler Jones was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2015.
Any formation on passing downs that include the likes of Bennett, Winovich and Van Noy at once should be able to get to Big Ben enough times to force one big mistake. And with Tom Brady running the Patriots’ offense, that may be all they need.
3. Take away Steelers’ top options on offense
Pressure on Roethlisberger is a good start for Bill Belichick’s defense, but New England will ultimately need to slow down Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown’s replacements, James Connor, and Pittsburgh’s now-No. 1 receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line is one of the league’s better units, and Connor is primed for a big second season as the the team’s feature back. New England may opt for a 3-4 defense on early downs, meaning much of the runs-stuffing will rely on nose tackle Danny Shelton and 3-4 defensive end Lawrence Guy. Guy’s versatility allows him to play both as a end in that scheme, and as a defensive tackle in four man fronts. He’s New England’s best run defender among the defensive line, if the Patriots can create some havoc up front, Hightower, Van Noy and ‘thumper’ linebackers Elandon Roberts and Ja’Whaun Bentley should be able to limit Connor.
In Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh has a superstar receiver in the making. J.C. Jackson had success on Smith-Schuster last year, but with Brown now in Oakland (for now), New England should utilize Stephon Gilmore on him. Gilmore is the game’s best cornerback, and he specializes in man coverage. Sometimes, Belichick opts to use his No. 1 cornerback to take away a team’s no. 2 receiver, while double-teaming their top option. Although Donte Moncrief and James Washington are capable receivers, this seems like a week in which Gilmore will be asked to follow the opponent’s top pass catcher.
