Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - If you checked the NFL standings after week six, you would have found the Pittsburgh Steelers sitting atop the AFC North with a 4-1 record. Many observers thought the Steelers were about to run away with the division. Baltimore was a stunning 1-5 and wracked by injuries including quarterback Lamar Jackson. Cincinnati lost star quarterback Joe Burrow to an injury and Cleveland was...well...Cleveland.
A funny thing happened on the way to that division title. Jackson came back and the Ravens are on a five game win streak. In the meantime, the Steelers have gone backwards as offensive production has dipped and the defense is playing un-Steelers like. Pittsburgh has dropped four of its last six games as they prepare to host the Bills at Acrisure stadium on Sunday.
If quarterback Aaron Rodgers plays, he will do so with a fractured left wrist sustained in a game against Cincinnati on November 16. Rodgers has completed 66% of his passes in his first season wearing the Black and Gold. He is averaging 196 yards passing a game and has 19 touchdown passes to go with seven interceptions.
Rodgers missed last week's 31-28 loss to Chicago and Mason Rudolph got the start. Rudolph, who started against the Bills in a wild card playoff loss two years ago, was 24-31 for 171 yards. He had a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble. The Steelers did rush for a season high 186 yards albeit against a Bears defense that did not have any of their starting linebackers. Pittsburgh used a lot of heavy personnel packages and Rudolph had just five passes of 10-plus yards.
Jaylen Warren leads the Steelers in rushing with 604 yards (4.3 per carry) and three touchdowns. Kenneth Gainwell is next with 336 yards (4.7) and three touchdowns as well.
Former Seattle Seahawk DK Metcalf is tied for the team lead in catches (42) with Gainwell. Metcalf tops the team in receiving yards (573) and receiving touchdowns (5). Only two wide receivers have more than 200 yards with Metcalf being one and Calvin Austin III the other (278). Tight end Pat Freiermuth has 26 catches on 32 targets for 298 yards and four touchdowns.
Pittsburgh's offense is ranked 11th in the league in scoring with an average of 24 points a game. They are 27th in rushing yards per game, 22nd in passing yards and 12th on third down.
The defense is another story. The highest paid defense in the NFL has given up 30 or more points in five of their 11 games. They're 20th in the league in scoring (23 pts), 15th in rushing yards, 31st in passing yards (258 a game) and 27th in third down efficiency. But the Steelers are 12th in sacks per pass play and the Bills are coming off their worst performance of the season in terms of pass protection.
The Bills have to make sure T.J. Watt doesn't make life miserable for Josh Allen. Watt has seven sacks, nine tackles for loss, seven passes defended, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. The pass rush isn't just Watt though. Linebacker Nick Herbig has six and a half sacks and Alex Highsmith, who might return from an injury for this game, has five and a half.
Linebackers Patrick Wilson and Patrick Queen are the top two in tackles. No one has more than one interception on the Steelers defense. Nine different players have one pick apiece.
Chris Boswell is one of the best kickers in the NFL. He's made all 29 of his extra point attempts and is 19-22 on field goal attempts including an impressive 7-8 from 50-plus yards.
Bills notes:
- The Bills have gone win,loss,win,loss over their last four games so obviously they're due for a win
- The Bills are just 2-3 on the road this season. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Bills are 10-11 on the road in regular season games.
- This is the 31st all time meeting with Pittsburgh. The Bills have won four of the last five including that playoff game two years ago. This is the Bills first game in the Steel city since 2019.
- The Bills have nine turnovers in their last three games. They had only six in the first eight games.
- After starting 4-0, the Bills have gone 3-4.
- The Bills are 7-0 when scoring at least 28 points and 0-4 when they score less than 28.
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