Steelers vs. Texans: 5 Reasons This is Pittsburgh's Most Important Game Yet

Certain games each season are considered “measuring sticks” for team performance. These are games against a big rival or against another conference team of similar or better strength. The Pittsburgh Steelers have just such a game this week in Houston against the Texans.

With a win, the Steelers would move to 3-1 and would cement themselves as a competitive member of the AFC elite. With a loss, they’d drop to 2-2 and be one of many teams in the conference vying for some kind of recognition.

Here are five reasons why this week’s game in Houston is the Steelers’ most important so far.

Big Test for the Defense

The Steelers defense has been good and bad in three games. They were pitiful against the Baltimore Ravens and were dubbed old and slow by many media members. They rebounded against Seattle the following week, recording multiple sacks. Against Indianapolis last Sunday, they were simply okay. They notched their first takeaway, but did little to pressure quarterbacks Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter.

The most disturbing trend so far for the defense hasn’t been in the passing game. It’s been the run defense. The Steelers have let Ray Rice and Joseph Addai, along with their backups, run more freely than ever before. They get Arian Foster this week, last season’s leading rusher.

In the passing game, they aren’t getting consistent pressure and aren’t shedding blocks and crashing the pocket. Lamarr Woodley has been a non-factor so far. The line is struggling to get push. The secondary has been (surprisingly) the best unit so far thanks to the play of Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor. Against Matt Schaub and his high-powered passing game, the Steelers will need to generate much more up front.

Big Ben's Big Challenge

Like the defense, quarterback Ben Roethlisbeger has been both great and terrible in three games. He’s made some huge plays in each game, but has also made some awful mistakes that have cost the team dearly.

I won’t pin this entirely on him, but his ball control has been awful. The offensive line hasn’t blocked much for him. That’s obvious. But there have just been a few times when he dangled the ball like a loaf of bread and had it smacked from his hand. That can’t happen regardless of the blocking.

The interceptions have been concerning too, mostly because they are happening more frequently than last year. Some of them are simply just bad choices too. The one thing Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t learned is that throwing away the ball isn’t always the worst choice.

Against the Texans, Roethlisberger will be facing a much-improved pass defense. How well he performs will be a good measure for how the season will go against other AFC contenders (New England, Baltimore).

The Offensive Line vs. Mario Williams

The Pittsburgh line has been horrendous. They’re banged up too. The biggest issue has been that they can’t protect in the passing game. They haven’t blocked well for running backs either, but that hasn’t been nearly as suspect.

Left tackle Jonathan Scott’s injury could be a blessing in disguise if it prompts the Steelers to find someone else to play at that spot. Trai Essex isn’t anything special, but he is probably a more talented player than Scott, who at times hasn’t even attempted to block a rusher (watch some of his snaps against Dwight Freeney last week).

How the line performs against a tough front seven in Houston will be key. They were roughed up by Indianapolis. This unit is better and faster. Mario Williams has to be licking his chops. If the Steelers can keep him in check, it might allow the offense to finally find some rhythm.

If they don’t block, well, let’s just say Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall might want to sit this one out.

Scheduling Wizardry

Take a look at the schedule. Drop out the New England and Baltimore games on October 30^th and November 6^th.

After Houston plays Pittsburgh this week, what do you see? The answer should be pretty much nothing scary. Jacksonville and Arizona don’t scare me and won’t be good tests to get ready for the Patriots and another matchup with the Ravens. After that, it’s division also-rans Cincinnati and Cleveland twice each and a bunch of bad teams from out west.

That’s good news for Steelers fans who are excited about nabbing a playoff berth. Assuming that the Steelers win the games they should, the team could finish at worst 12-4. Even if you assume the Titans will be dangerous (and they might be), they’d be 11-5. That should be good for a wild-card spot if not more.

The Steelers need to prove themselves in Houston and then against New England and Baltimore. Why? These are the teams they’ll be playing again in January. Beat them now and they create momentum. Lose now and the odds aren’t so good even if the Steelers do make the playoffs.

Momentum Building

Right now, if I had to guess, I’d say Mike Tomlin would agree with me that the Steelers have generated zero momentum. They don’t have that groove yet offensively or defensively. They are surviving games they should be winning big.

They left a lot of points on the field against Seattle. They let Indianapolis, without Peyton Manning, get achingly close to a victory. This just isn’t a Steelers team we’re used to seeing.

For some perspective: Last year, the Steelers were 3-0. Forget the record, though. They dominated on defense against Atlanta, Tennessee and Tampa Bay and were on their way to a very close loss to Baltimore. They did this without their quarterback.

This year, they’re 2-1. Again, forget the record. When have they played a complete game this year on either side? The offense was great in the first half against Seattle and pretty good in the first quarter against the Colts. The defense was great in the second half of the Seahawks game and okay last week for the most part.

They need a big win over a great team to really build up some momentum (in the right direction) and to get on a roll. Beating the Texans isn’t just a priority. It’s a necessity.