Steelers vs. Commanders Preview (11-9-24)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
Landover, MD- The Washington Commanders play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a week ten battle. Both teams enter the matchup riding high off of three-game winning streaks by each club. Pittsburgh (6-2) and Washington (7-2) lead the AFC North and NFC East respectively.
Washington is coming off a 27-22 victory against the Giants last week, and the Steelers had a week nine bye but also defeated the Giants on Monday Night Football in week eight, 26-18. Starting quarterback Russell Wilson has looked sharp running Pittsburgh’s offense since taking over the position back in week seven against the New York Jets.
The Commanders will look to defeat the Steelers and go 3-1 this season against the AFC North division.
Keys To Victory
● Dictate the Flow Of The Game: One important aspect of this game for Washington is to establish the tone early. The Commanders need to continue their fast starts and score early. If they can establish the fast-paced downhill offense, then it can force that stifling Pittsburgh defense to play out of its style and from behind early.
● Pressure Wilson: Towards the latter part of his career, Wilson has not been able to handle pressure from defense as well as he did early in his career. The Washington defense must continue getting to the quarterback, making Wilson uncomfortable and holding the ball longer than he should. If they can hit home on their pressure then Wilson will be prone to some mistakes.
● Feed Scary Terry: The Daniels-McLaurin connection has become one of the NFL’s top duos in the league. Last week, McLaurin only had two catches but they were both for touchdowns already putting his total at six on the season. With two young up-and-coming defensive backs in Beanie Bishop and Joey Porter, Daniels will favor McLaurin’s ability to come down with the ball in any matchup against the youngsters.
Pittsburgh and Washington Player To Watch
● LB T.J. Watt: What needs to be said about Watt that people don’t already know? He’s a force that drives the engine of this Pittsburgh defense. Watt will use his speed and relentless motor to drive back the offensive linemen getting to the quarterback.
● RB Austin Ekeler: Unfortunately, for the Commanders they will be without starting back Brian Robinson Jr. as he will miss his second-straight contest with a groin injury. Enter one of the league’s top pass-catching running backs in Ekeler. He’ll force the Pittsburgh defense to respect him out of the backfield and be weary of his agility when working outside the tackles. The Commanders will use him in every aspect of their zone-read offense.
All Time vs. Pittsburgh
The Commanders have played 79 times, with Washington leading 43-33-3. Washington defeated the Steelers in their last meeting in 2020 when Pittsburgh entered the matchup 11-0 the contest and fell 23-17 in a rare Wednesday contest.
Injury Bug
Washington has some key injuries entering Sunday….
Running back Brian Robinson Jr. (groin) – out
Kicker Austin Seibert (hip) – out
Tackle Cornelius Lucas (ankle) – out
Cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) – out
Final Verdict
The Commanders know how well coached this Steelers unit is by head coach Mike Tomlin. They will be battle-tested and must be prepared for the challenge. It’s a short week for Washington as they head up the beltway Thursday evening, for a matchup with the rival Philadelphia Eagles in a battle for first place in the NFC East.
