You never like to think of a Week One game as a must win but this week’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals could defintely be a tone setter for the rest of the Steelers season. Here are our keys to victory.
Play perfect (almost)
No one is expecting a perfect performance but the Steelers have to understand just how narrow the margin of error is this weekend against the Bengals. After watching this Bengals team dismantle the Steelers late last season, we all understand how quickly this game will get out of control if Pittsburgh commits too many unforced errors.
Work around the weaknesses
By weaknesses I mean the offensive line. Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Matt Canada has to find ways to not only run the football with a subpar offensive line but keep quarterback Mitch Trubisky upright. Look for them to move Trubisky around, use play action and plenty of quick throws to minimize the problems up front.
Torment Joe Burrow
In two games last season, the Steelers only sacked Joe Burrow twice and T.J. Watt was shut out. If Pittsburgh has a prayer on Sunday, the defense has to find ways to get to Burrow and get him to the ground, even if it means using more blitzes and taking some chances.
Force turnovers
As much as I want to say the Steelers must play clean football, they probably aren’t going to in Week One. So instead it is all about creating more mistakes than the Bengals do. The Steelers have made improvements to the front seven and this should allow the secondary to take some risks and get a few splash plays.
Make third down the best down
Whether the Steelers are on offense or defense, third down is where the team must shine. Keeping the chains moving on offense and stalling out Bengals drives is the team’s best chance to pull off the upset.
