Steelers vs. Rams: What's the Game Plan for Pittsburgh?

The big storyline heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers' Sunday showdown with the St. Louis Rams is the return of Le'Veon Bell to the black and gold after serving his two-game suspension.

Dynamic on the ground and through the air, Bell will be a shot in the arm for an already explosive offense coming off a week in which the Steelers put up 43 points against the San Francisco 49ers.

But what happens to the AFC's leading rusher, DeAngelo Williams, who did more than just fill in for Bell in the first two weeks?

The coaches have made it clear they won't neglect Williams now that Bell is back in the fold, but how will they get the veteran running back touches without taking the ball away from arguably the best dual-threat running back in the game today?

It's a good problem to have, but not for the Rams, who draw the tough task of trying to stop the high-powered Steelers offense. 

St. Louis is relatively stingy through the air, allowing just 205 yards per game, but the Rams have struggled to stop the run this year. Washington ran for 182 yards against them in Week 2. 

Will the Steelers try to replicate Washington's performance on the ground by pounding the rock with Bell and Williams, especially against a tough front seven?

How will offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Co. incorporate Bell back into the fold?

Who steps up in the passing game to take some attention off Antonio Brown this week? Read on to find out.

Offensive Game Plan

Associated Press

By now it's clear how the Steelers plan on attacking a defense, regardless of who's on the other side of the ball.

Quick screens, crossing routes, the occasional deep shot and a strong running game are all part of the foundation for the Steelers offense, led by Ben Roethlisberger.

Antonio Brown and Roethlisberger have been nothing short of spectacular to start the season, so that should continue once again in Week 3 against a Rams secondary that has yet to be tested this season.

With Le'Veon Bell back, what will his role be? Will the Steelers rush him back into the game plan or ease him in slowly while trying to keep him healthy long-term?

Expect Bell to get between 15 and 18 touches in this game. He's always efficient with his touches, so the number won't be the issue.

Pittsburgh will have to come out early and establish a running game against the Rams, taking some heat off Roethlisberger and the passing game. The Rams have struggled to stop the run early in the year, so Pittsburgh could have relative success on the ground once again.

I'm betting on a bounce-back performance by the Rams defense against the run in this one, so this game will come down to Roethlisberger's arm once again.

St. Louis' secondary is prone to double moves and the big play—especially Janoris Jenkins—so expect the Steelers to attack him deep every chance they get.

Getting Brown the ball in space against the Rams will allow him to create after the catch, which will prove troublesome to the Rams, who will have a tough time stopping the best receiver in the NFL regardless of what they try to do coverage-wise.

Add in a second deep threat receiver alongside Darrius Heyward-Bey in rookie Sammie Coates, who's making his NFL debut, and the middle of the field could be wide open for Brown, Heath Miller and Markus Wheaton to operate while Bell works the underneath routes.

St. Louis did give up 31 points to Seattle and 24 points to Washington, so the opportunity to put up a lot of points against the Rams is there for the taking. It all comes down to execution in this one.

Defensive Game Plan

Charles LeMaire/USA Today Sports

Fortunately for the Steelers, the Rams run a simple offense, so the young Pittsburgh defense won't have to prepare for many gadget plays or elaborate play calls.

The Rams have plenty of weapons across the board, but they don't always utilize them correctly, which makes St. Louis' offense rather stale.

For Pittsburgh, the key to shutting down St. Louis' attack starts with negating running lanes by penetrating the Rams' zone-blocking scheme, much like the Steelers did against San Francisco.

St. Louis doesn't run a similar system to San Francisco, but it does like to utilize the zone-blocking scheme while bringing an H-back to the back side in a split-zone scheme.

With rookie Todd Gurley likely making his NFL debut Sunday against the Steelers, the absence of second-year linebacker Ryan Shazier will be felt in a big way, especially when the Rams run the ball.

Shazier was a menace all over the field in Week 2 against San Francisco and likely would have been in for another field day against St. Louis based on the Rams' run scheme, but now it will be up to Vince Williams to shoot the gaps in the zone scheme to make plays sideline to sideline.

While St. Louis relies heavily on the run, Nick Foles can pick weak secondaries apart on play-action plays, crossing routes and screens.

However, he has struggled with ball placement at times this year, making it difficult for the Rams receivers to get in rhythm with him, especially in Week 2.

Against the Redskins, Foles and the Rams offense struggled mightily due to the lack of a running game, which forced him to try to move the offense through the air. That's not the strength of the Rams offense.

Shut down the running game and force the Rams to the air and you'll stand a great chance of winning.

Luckily for Pittsburgh, the young defense has done a nice job early in the year of shutting down the opposition's running game. Through two games, opponents are averaging just 95.0 yards per game on the ground against the Steelers, good for 12th-best in the league.

St. Louis has averaged just 71.5 yards per game on the ground through two weeks.

Even with Gurley likely making his debut, the best way for the Rams to try to move the ball against the Steelers will be through the air by force-feeding Tavon Austin in space, targeting Jared Cook all over the field and making mid-range throws to Kenny Britt and Stedman Bailey.

This is where Mike Mitchell, Antwon Blake, Willie Gay, Ross Cockrell, Brandon Boykin and a healthy Cortez Allen will have to step up.

Pittsburgh could roll coverage toward Cook much like it did with Rob Gronkowski in Week 1, but Cook isn't nearly the talent or matchup problem Gronk is. Plus, rolling coverage toward a tight end didn't end well for Pittsburgh.

Watch for wheel routes and quick screens to Benny Cunningham and Tre Mason out of the backfield as well. St. Louis loves to involve its running backs in the passing game, so this is where the absence of Shazier will be felt heavily.

Sean Spence and Vince Williams will have to step up in a big way to try to replace the athleticism and playmaking ability of Shazier.

In the end, if the front seven shuts down running lanes for the plethora of Rams running backs likely to get carries, gets pressure on Foles by beating Greg Robinson and Rob Havenstein consistently—neither is a strong pass-blocker but punishes people in the running game—and creates a few turnovers in the process, the Steelers stand a good chance of improving to 2-1.

Key Players and Matchups

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Ramon Foster and David DeCastro vs. Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers

Donald has quickly become the best defensive tackle in the NFL thanks to his speed off the snap, use of hands and ability to find the football. He's a tough matchup for anyone, especially when he draws one-on-one matchups thanks to the talent he has around him.

Brockers—another former first round pick—is very disruptive as well on the interior.

Donald and Brockers often flip-flop positions, putting Donald to the strong side of the field where the dominate 3-technique tackle can go to work. Wherever the strong side of the field is, Donald will line up on that side.

That's what makes Foster and DeCastro so important in this game for Pittsburgh. Donald and Brockers cause tons of problems when they are coming downhill, so Foster and DeCastro have to be on top of their games in Sunday's matchup.

If Foster and DeCastro can at least neutralize one of the two—ideally Donald—the Steelers can establish a running game against the Rams. If not, Donald will once again be a terror in the backfield, causing disruption in the running game and passing game.

Heath Miller

Against such a strong front seven with the ability to put heat on the quarterback, the Steelers will need to get rid of the ball quickly to slow those pass-rushers. That's where Miller will step up in Week 3, especially in the middle of the field.

Miller has been Roethlisberger's security blanket in the middle of the field since Big Ben came into the league. There's comfort, security and general awareness of where No. 83 is at all times for Roethlisberger.

If the Rams pass rush gets pressure on Roethlisberger with regularity, expect Miller's targets to lead the team in this one.

Vince Williams

No Ryan Shazier? No problem.

The Steelers defense has been here before multiple times, and it's usually Williams who has to fill in for the injured Shazier.

The former Florida State Seminole has rarely disappointed since he joined the Steelers as a sixth-round pick in 2013.

Exceptional against the run when flying downhill, Williams will have to come up big Sunday by neutralizing the Rams' zone-blocking scheme and shooting the gaps.

He might not be as talented or as important to the defense as Shazier is, but Williams will have to once again prove his worth against the run.

Prediction: Steelers 34, Rams 17

Associated Press

St. Louis' secondary is the weak link of the team despite allowing just 205 yards passing per game. Expect the Steelers to attack the defensive backs early and often like they usually do, with quick screens, crossing routes and the occasional deep shot.

With a finely tuned offensive machine rolling into Edward Jones Dome, the Rams defense will have its hands full from the get-go, especially with Le'Veon Bell rejoining the fold.

Bell puts up an impressive performance in his first game back in action, while Antonio Brown, Heath Miller and Darrius Heyward-Bey catch touchdowns from Ben Roethlisberger for the second straight week.

Oh, and Roethlisberger extends his streak of 350-plus yards passing to start the season to three straight.

Defensively, the Steelers continue their barrage on opposing quarterbacks, taking advantage of a disappointing Rams offensive line to get to Nick Foles early and often. And for the second straight week, Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt set the tone up front, with a little bit of Vince Williams mixed in.

The last time these two teams met was back on December 24, 2011, when the Steelers shut out St. Louis 27-0.

Don't be surprised if that happens once again, just in a different setting.

Prediction: Steelers 34, Rams 17