Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets: Complete Week 10 Preview for Pittsburgh
Perhaps it's appropriate that the Pittsburgh Steelers are visiting the New York Jets on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), because they suddenly boast a high-flying offense.
An actual aircraft made news Wednesday when a plane pulling letters spelling "Fire John Idzik" flew over the Jets' practice. Idzik is the general manager of this 1-8 team.
Odds Shark favors the Steelers (6-3) by 3.5 points over the Jets. The Steelers have won three straight and would appear to be heavy favorites against a team that has lost eight in a row since edging the still-winless Oakland Raiders in Week 1.
The Steelers, however, need to be on their toes. They can't forget that they're the only team to lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, and that loss came at Heinz Field. Their recent history is littered with losses to inferior opponents.
Since Mike Tomlin became head coach in 2007, the Steelers have lost nine games to teams that finished the year 6-10 or worse, 10 if it's assumed the Buccaneers finish no better than 6-10. The first of those losses came in 2007, when the Steelers took their 7-2 record to East Rutherford, New Jersey to face the 1-8 Jets and lost 19-16 in overtime.
That 1-8 record sounds familiar, and while the Steelers are riding a hot streak behind Ben Roethlisberger's 12 touchdown passes in the last two games, none of their three straight wins has come on the road.
The Steelers' newfound success will be road-tested for the first time, and despite their dismal record, the Jets will put on pads and buckle their chinstraps Sunday just like the Steelers.
Steelers Week 9 Recap
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In a physical AFC North game marked by skirmishes that popped up like brush fires, the Steelers got an eye for an eye when they beat the Baltimore Ravens 43-23 at Heinz Field.
That's the same margin the Ravens enjoyed when they defeated the Steelers 26-6 in Week 2.
Roethlisberger became the first quarterback to throw 12 touchdown passes in a span of two games. Two of those went to rookie Martavis Bryant. Le'Veon Bell, Markus Wheaton, Antonio Brown and Matt Spaeth caught the others.
The Steelers improved to 20th in the league in red-zone touchdown percentage, according to TeamRankings.com, after scoring touchdowns on all three of their red-zone trips last Sunday. They were 31st three weeks ago, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
During their three-game winning streak, the Steelers are tied for third in the NFL with an 83.33 red-zone touchdown rate.
The Steelers are also finding a knack for something else that eluded them earlier in the year: forcing turnovers.
Even though the Steelers have won three straight, they haven't scored first in any of those games. They trailed 7-0 after one quarter Sunday, but a fumble recovery by Brice McCain and an interception by Jason Worilds set up the Steelers' first two touchdowns and a 14-7 lead. They never looked back after that.
The Steelers failed to generate a takeaway in their first two games, but have forced 13 since then. They've forced at least one turnover in seven straight games for the first time since 2010, the last year they went to the Super Bowl or even won a playoff game. They took the ball away at least once in their first eight games that season.
Sunday's win was the Steelers' biggest margin of victory over the Ravens since they beat them 38-7 in Pittsburgh in 2007. The Steelers' division record improved to 2-2, and the Ravens are 2-3 and in last place in the AFC North with 5-4 overall record. It's the only division in the NFL in which all four teams have a winning record.
The Cleveland Browns' 24-3 win at Cincinnati on Thursday Night Football knocked the Bengals (5-3-1) from first place. The Browns and Steelers, both 6-3, share first place in the division. The Steelers would be in first place by themselves with a win Sunday.
News and Notes
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Roethlisberger Repeats as AFC Offensive Player of the Week
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in row, according to Steelers.com.
Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 12 touchdown passes in a span of two weeks. He threw six Sunday in the Steelers' 43-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field. Roethlisberger completed 25 of 37 passes for 340 yards and hasn't thrown an interception since Week 6 at Cleveland.
He's in the league's top three in several statistical categories.
| Category | Statistic | NFL Ranking |
| Passing yards | 2,720 | 2nd |
| Touchdown passes | 22 | t3rd |
| Completion percentage (at least 100 passes) | 68.3 | 2nd |
| Passer rating (at least 150 passes) | 110.6 | 3rd |
| Fewest interceptions (at least 150 passes) | 3 | t3rd |
Tomlin Bans Dancing on Kickoffs
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin channeled John Lithgow and went all Reverend Moore on his kickoff coverage unit.
The Steelers coach banned dancing before the ball is kicked off, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
And he didn't do it to honor the 30th anniversary of the movie Footloose. He did it because he doesn't want to see an opponent return a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown again.
That's just what the Ravens' Jacoby Jones did after the Steelers went up 29-10 in the fourth quarter on Antonio Brown's 54-yard touchdown catch Sunday night, and the Ravens stayed in the game.
Players on the Steelers' kickoff coverage team were dancing to stadium music just before the kickoff.
"You won't see our kickoff team dancing anymore before we kick the ball off," Tomlin told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
If Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were a Dancing With the Stars judge, here's whom he would vote for:
"The dancing culprit on the 108-yard KO return was Antwon Blake, who also tried to go underneath a block and got out of his lane. Boom. TD.
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) November 6, 2014"
League Hands Out Fines for Ravens-Steelers Incidents
Not only did the Steelers defeat the Ravens on the scoreboard Sunday night, they also beat them financially.
Four Ravens and just one Steeler were fined by the NFL, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw was fined $20,000 for a late hit on Ben Roethlisberger. All other fines were for $8,268, including Terrell Suggs' hit to the back of LeGarrette Blount's legs after Blount was apparently stopped.
Baltimore offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah was fined for a hit on Cameron Heyward. Linebacker Albert McClellan was cited for a late hit on a punt return.
The only Steeler fined was Vince Williams for taunting.
Bell Closing in on Record
Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell has caught at least five passes in every game during the Steelers' current three-game winning streak. He has 47 receptions this season and needs five more to break John L. Williams' single-season franchise record for receptions by a running back. Williams caught 51 passes in 1994.
Steelers Sign Dangerfield to Practice Squad
The Steelers signed safety Jordan Dangerfield to their practice squad and released defensive lineman Ethan Hemer, according to CBSSports.com.
Dangerfield played in the Steelers' first three preseason games and is being added for insurance at safety with Troy Polamalu, Shamarko Thomas and Ross Ventrone sidelined.
A History of Success
The Steelers are 17-4 all time against the Jets. That's an .810 winning percentage, the Steelers' best winning percentage against AFC opponents and their third-best against existing NFL teams, according to Pro Football Reference. It had been their fourth-best entering the season, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved from first to fourth on that list with their Week 4 win over the Steelers.
The Big Four-Oh
The Steelers have scored at least 40 points in two straight games for the first time since 1966, according to Pro Football Reference.
They beat the New York Giants 47-28 on Dec. 11, 1966, and the Atlanta Falcons 57-33 on Dec. 18. Both were road games. They've never scored 40 points in three straight games.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status (through Fri) |
| Troy Polamalu | S | Out (knee) |
| Ryan Shazier | LB | Out (ankle) |
| Ike Taylor | CB | Out (forearm) |
| Shamarko Thomas | S | Out (hamstring) |
| Ross Ventrone | S | Out (hamstring) |
| Jason Worilds | LB | Probable (abdomen) |
| Darrius Heyward-Bey | WR | Probable (hamstring) |
The absence of Troy Polamalu, Shamarko Thomas and Ross Ventrone leaves the Steelers with Mike Mitchell, Will Allen and Robert Golden as their only healthy safeties. Golden has played one snap on defense this year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones had the cast on his dislocated wrist removed, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and is eligible to come off the injured-reserve-designated-to-return list. But it's uncertain when he'll be ready.
James Harrison has four sacks in the last two games and Jason Worilds has 11 quarterback hits this season, the most among 3-4 outside linebackers, according to PFF. If they keep up that production, there will be no need to rush Jones' return.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Antonio Brown vs. Jets cornerbacks
Saying week after week that Antonio Brown has again caught five passes for at least 50 yards is kind of like saying Emeril Lagasse can boil water.
Since barely keeping that streak alive at Jacksonville, Brown's receptions have increased every week. He caught seven passes at Cleveland in Week 6, nine against Houston in Week 7, 10 against Indianapolis in Week 8 and 11 for a season-high 144 yards Sunday against the Ravens.
Brown is running away with the NFL's lead in receptions with 71. The Colts' T.Y. Hilton is next with 56. Brown also has accumulated a league-high 996 receiving yards.
Now Brown goes up against the Jets' slapdash secondary.
It's anyone's guess who will try to cover Brown this Sunday. Darrin Walls of Woodland Hills, Pennsylvania is out with a calf injury, according to NJ.com. Josh Thomas, Marcus Williams and Phillip Adams are the candidates for the Jets' two starting cornerback spots.
Thomas and Adams are Seahawks rejects. The 26-year-old Adams, who has played for five teams, was released by Seattle and picked up by the Jets before the season. The Seahawks cut Thomas in October, and the Jets signed him after they lost Dee Milliner for the season. The undrafted Williams was called up from the Jets' practice squad on Oct. 28, according to Rotoworld.
It all adds up to 24 passing touchdowns with just one interception against the Jets this season, both league worsts. It's a matchup the Steelers must exploit.
Steelers Offensive Line vs. Muhammad Wilkerson/Sheldon Richardson
The Steelers held J.J. Watt in check for most of the night three weeks ago in their 30-23 win over the Houston Texans.
Watt is the top defensive end in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Now the Steelers will see how they do against Nos. 2 and 3 on that list. The Jets have them both.
The Jets are fifth in the NFL with 25 sacks, and Wilkerson leads the way with 4.5 of them. Richardson has 3.5. Wilkerson is second only to Watt with four batted passes, according to PFF.
The Steelers have allowed three sacks in the past two-and-a-half games. All three came on one possession against the Ravens. Not only do Kelvin Beachum, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert have to protect Roethlisberger from Wilkerson and Richardson, they also have to open up holes for the running game. Wilkerson and Richardson rank first and second, respectively, against the run among the league's 3-4 defensive ends, according to PFF.
Wilkerson might have provided the Steelers with some bulletin-board material when he mentioned Roethlisberger's "poor ball security" to NJ.com.
Roethlisberger is in a six-way tie for second in the NFL this season with six fumbles, according to SportingCharts.com. Jay Cutler has fumbled nine times.
Roethlisberger, Cutler and Cam Newton are tied for second with four fumbles lost. Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has fumbled the ball away five times.
Antwon Blake vs. Percy Harvin
Wide receiver Percy Harvin broke out Sunday in his second game as a Jet. He caught 11 passes for 129 yards, including a 42-yard reception.
The enigmatic Harvin is the Jets' deep threat, which means he'll see a lot of Antwon Blake on Sunday.
Blake allowed the Ravens' Torrey Smith to catch one pass for 13 yards on four targets last week, according to PFF. Starting cornerback Brice McCain allowed catches, including a touchdown by Torrey Smith, all seven times he was thrown to.
Blake told Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider that he ran a 4.18 40-yard dash at his University of Texas-El Paso pro day in 2012. Unless that's a fish story, he should have no problem covering Harvin, who ran a "slow" 4.41 40 at the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine.
Blake and the rest of the Steelers' kickoff coverage unit also will have their hands full with Harvin. The 5'11", 184-pounder has returned five kickoffs for touchdowns in his career, in addition to his kickoff return TD for the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.
The Steelers proved vulnerable in that area last week when Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown.
James Harrison vs. Michael Vick
The Steelers have faced Michael Vick only three times, but he's been a pest each time.
In 2002, Vick led the Atlanta Falcons back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and the Steelers had to settle for a 34-34 tie at Pittsburgh.
In 2006, the Steelers fell 41-38 in overtime to Vick and the Falcons at Atlanta.
Even the Steelers' one victory against Vick didn't come easily. They needed a last-second field goal to beat the Eagles at Heinz Field in 2012.
A win shouldn't be that difficult Sunday against the dreadful Jets, and James Harrison will play a big role in making sure the 34-year-old Vick isn't much of a problem.
Vick fumbled the ball three times, losing it twice, when the Steelers beat the Eagles 16-14 in 2012. And he's still a turnover machine. He's coughed up the ball five times in two games since taking over for an ineffective Geno Smith as the Jets' starting quarterback.
Harrison is just the guy to take advantage of Vick's rent-a-cop ball security. He leads the Steelers with four sacks. He's had two each in the last two games. The 36-year-old also has nine quarterback hits, according to PFF. Jason Worilds leads the team with 11 quarterback hits, but Harrison is a little more menacing.
X-Factor to Watch: Mike Mitchell
With Polamalu out, safety Mike Mitchell might be called upon to do some of the freelancing that Polamalu does, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Rather than sitting back and playing center field, Mitchell now has a chance to run around, ravage an offense and fill the stat sheet the way he did with the Carolina Panthers last season. Mitchell intercepted four passes, broke up eight passes and had 3.5 sacks in 2013. That earned him a five-year, $25 million contract from the Steelers.
So far this season, all Mitchell has to show for his work are two forced fumbles and two passes defended. He'll be in a better position Sunday to once again get that sensation of hand on pigskin.
Prediction
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On paper, this seems like an easy game to predict, but it's never been easy to predict what the Steelers will do this season.
After potential season-defining wins over the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens, both AFC playoff contenders, Mike Tomlin said at his weekly press conference that he's wary of a letdown, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Steelers can't sweep under the rug their 27-24, Week 4 home loss to the one-win Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Martavis Bryant wasn't wearing a uniform, James Harrison was still in rec-league shape and Ben Roethlisberger was sacked on each of the game's first two plays.
Now, Bryant has 10 receptions, five for touchdowns. Harrison has four sacks in the last two games. The offensive line has allowed three sacks in the last 10 quarters.
This is a different Steelers team than the one that lackadaisically took the field six weeks ago. For the first time in his career, it can be argued that Roethlisberger is the NFL's best quarterback.
Most calculators probably would explode trying to figure how many touchdown passes Roethlisberger can throw against the Jets' ramshackle secondary. While it might be a little much to expect six more touchdown passes, Roethlisberger will throw enough of them to subdue the upset-minded Jets.
Regardless of how much better they might be, the Steelers' tendency to falter against lowly opponents must factor into the prediction for this game. It won't be easy, but the Steelers will handle this underdog.
Prediction: Steelers 27, Jets 16
Statistics are from NFL.com unless noted.
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