By: Joe Konze Jr | jkonzejr@gmail.com
It’s been a little over 230 days since the Buffalo Bills suffered a gut-wrenching 34-24 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
Visions of Stefon Diggs watching the Arrowhead Stadium ticker-tape parade still lingers in the minds of the #BillsMafia fanbase, and the bitter taste of a gut-wrenching defeat still stings a bit. But much like a phoenix, the Bills have found new life and risen from the ashes of defeat, ready to embark on a 2021 redemption tour.
On Sunday afternoon, the Bills play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the home opener at Highmark Stadium, and the one question on the minds of many football pundits is, “How far will this Buffalo Bills team go?” With the home opener on the horizon, here are a few things to look out for in Sunday’s matchup.
He said it:
“I hope he does try to finish his runs like a running back. We’ll treat him like a running back. If he wants to be treated like a running back, we’ll do that, too.”
Steelers Defensive Coordinator, Keith Butler
Last time they met:
The last time the Steelers and Bills met was Dec. 13, 2020, in a Sunday night primetime matchup. The Steelers were the top seed in the AFC and looking to prove to the football world that their 11-1 record was no fluke, and the Bills were gaining popularity as the NFL’s hottest football team.
After a first half that saw just six first downs and 102 yards on seven possessions, the Bills, behind the arm of Josh Allen, erupted. Allen tossed two touchdown passes 3:21 apart that included a 19-yard pass to Stefon Diggs and a 13-yard one to Gabriel Davis on the first two drives of the second half to put Buffalo ahead 23-7. The Bills would go on to win 26-15.
Allen finished the game 24 of 43 for 238 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, and Diggs finished with 10 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Key Players to Watch:
Buffalo Bills DT Ed Oliver:
Since being drafted ninth overall in the 2019 NFL draft, fans have been waiting for defensive tackle, Ed Oliver, to have a signature Bills game.
On Sunday afternoon, Oliver has a great opportunity to put his high-end quickness and explosive pass-rushing abilities to the test as he faces a lackluster Steelers offensive line.
The Steelers lost four of five starters on their offensive line. Their only returning starter is tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who ranked 74th out of 84 qualifying tackles in the Pro Football Focus Offensive Lineman rankings. With an unproven and uninspired offensive line, Oliver has a chance to create havoc in the backfield.
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris:
When rookie Najee Harris is brought up in conversation, the first thing that comes to mind is his mind-blowing and miraculous hurdle over Notre Dame defender Nick McCloud in the College Football Playoff last season. He brings great power, speed, and the ability to break open a game at the drop of a dime.
Sure, the Steelers had the 29th ranked offensive line unit entering the 2021 season per PFF, but if the Bills can’t penetrate the backfield early on, Harris could have himself a day.
Key Matchup: Bills passing attack vs. Steelers pass defense
Earlier this week, Allen said that Bills-Steelers matchups are like “boxing matches.” Well, Sunday’s matchup will be another prize fight, and I think the key matchup to look at this Sunday is the Bills passing attack vs. the Steelers passing defense.
Last season, the Bills’ passing offense set the league on fire. They ranked No. 2 in passing attack behind the electric arm of Allen, and they scored more than 500 points in a season for the first time in franchise history, with the help of wide receivers Diggs and Cole Beasley, who earned NFL All-Pro Honors, and rookie Davis. This season, they add Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders has a knack for finding a seam in opposing defenses and adds championship pedigree to an already impressive wide receiving corps.
For the Steelers, In 2020, they were tied for the league lead in interceptions with 18 and led the NFL with 56 sacks- 15 came from defensive lineman T.J. Watt. They also had the highest pressure rate of any NFL team last season at 45.1 percent per PFF, and they have one of the NFL’s best safeties in Minkah Fitzpatrick. With the combination of Watt’s speed off the edge and Fitzpatrick’s ability to change the game’s complexion with one turnover in coverage, the Bills have to be careful tossing the pigskin around the yard.
Pittsburgh always finds a way to disrupt an opposing team’s game plan. In last season’s matchup, we saw that in the first half when Allen completed just 10 of 23 passes with an interception and no touchdowns. If the Bills want to come out firing on all cylinders, they will have to keep Allen upright and feed Diggs and Beasley early on. If they can do that, I see no reason why they can’t dominate the Steelers defense on Sunday.
Magic Number (-6.5):
The Bills open up their 2021 campaign as a 6.5-point favorite, and in four opportunities last season, the Bills covered the spread twice when they were favored by 6.5 points.
Prediction:
2020 was an interesting season for the NFL. Fans weren’t allowed in the stands until later on in the season. The hype and the energy of 70,000 passionate fans is something this Bills team has yet to fully experience, and if I’m the Steelers I would be worried about that. Josh Allen had one of his best seasons of any quarterback in Bills history last season and after an impressive first half against the Packers in Week 3 of the preseason, he shows no signs of stopping. With an elite wide receiving corps in Diggs, Beasley, Davis and Sanders, the possibility of routes are endless and I expect the Bills come out hot with an all out air raid style offense. The explosive arm of Allen and elusivness of the Bills potent offense put the Steelers in a stranglehold and prove to the NFL, once again, that they are a strong contender for this year’s title.
Bills 34, Steelers 17
Tune In:
When:
Sunday, at 1:00 p.m.
Highmark Stadium
Orchard Park, New York
TV:
CBS
Radio:
Buffalo: WGR550 (550 AM)
Rochester: WCMF (96.5 FM) and WROC (950 AM)
Syracuse: WKRL (100.9 FM/106.5 FM)
Toronto: Fan 590 (590 AM)
2 Responses
Will be a much closer game. Bills edge it out on last drive, 27-24
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