PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Jets don’t run the wishbone, but it might seem like it given what the Steelers expect from New York in the season opener. It lines up as a big test for a run defense that gave up 299 yards to the Ravens in its season-ending game in January.
Jets have a pair of tailbacks that that can hurt you, 5’11”, 24-year-old Breece Hall may be one of the more underrated in the game. He had 1,359 combined yards last year and when he’s not on the field, former Wisconsin tailback Braelon Allen will lower his shoulder at 6’1”, 235 pounds, rushing for 334 yards last season.
“It’s difficult when you have to go against 2 running backs,” said Steelers defensive lineman Keeanu Benton. “We got to attack.”
“Especially as a D-lineman, you can have a good game if you stop the run and hold a team under 100 (yards). It’s a big talk of ours to make sure we do stop the run.”
Linebacker Patrick Queen described both as being able to ‘lower the boom’, but are equally athletic.
Then it comes to the most athletic player in that Jets backfield, the quarterback. Steelers saw what Fields could do every day in practice, let alone games. In 2022, Fields rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s more yards per game than any of the seasons Najee Harris spent with the Steelers.
“Quick, just like a running back as well, he can just lower his shoulder and stiff arm,” Queen said. “He’s a hard open-field tackle. He can run past you. He can juke out. He can run over you. He can stiff arm you. He’s got every single tool in the tool box to be able to create damaging plays.”
“The best thing for us is to keep him in the pocket, squeeze the pocket on top of him best we can and let guys make plays on him. We got to just do our job.”
“When you get a running quarterback, it adds a whole different aspect to the game and what they can do,” Benton said. “Just keeping him contained, keeping him in the pocket is big for us.”
“We know Justin, know what he’s capable of doing,” said corner Darius Slay. “I played against him in Chicago. He’s a great kid, tremendous talent. I know we sure got to contain him.”
“I’ve been with TA (Teryl Austin) for a long time, to be a great run defense you got to have great corners that can tackle. Thankfully I’m a good tackler, I can get a guy down. That’s a big burden on me.”
“Just the will,” Benton said. “I feel like we got some big guys that are in there willing to stop the run. We are not all looking just for pass rush and those big stats, sacks stats.”
“We are down to get grimy.”
“It starts up front,” said rookie defensive lineman Yahya Black. “We want to show dominance and that we are here.”
Black is one of the new faces brought in to help stop the run. Steelers will be without number one pick Derrick Harmon and while Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin have said Cam Heyward is ready to go, he could be on a snap count after missing a lot of team drills in the offseason.
“I think we have quality dudes and quality backups there,” said defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. “You have a veteran guy like Milk [Isaiahh Loudermilk] and a young guy like Yahya. I think we have some good quality guys that are going to fill that role until he's back. I think we've addressed our depth. We've addressed it with some young talent, some big bodies. So, I'm not really worried about it at this time. If we were to have a whole bunch of injuries, then there might be a different story, but not right now.”
“You hear from the vets, it starts where we are, hands in the dirt,” Black said.
Queen said they can’t go playing hero ball, it comes down to team defense and everyone staying in their gaps and doing their jobs.
Steelers spent the offseason working on a problem, big first test Sunday.