We all know how explosive this Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense is. I won’t waste my breath on how dynamic they can be, an offense capable of putting up 30 points and creating splash plays.
But for some Seattle Seahawks’ fans, this afternoon could be a rude awakening. For the Seahawks’ coaches, they know keeping the play in front of them is critical to slowing down the Steelers.
“It’s their vertical passing threat. It’s the attack. It’s number 7 standing back there…He can throw the ball really far, they’ve got speedy receivers and those guys can go get it,” defensive coordinator Kris Richard told the media, with the transcript published in The Seattle Times.
For Richards though, there may not be comfort, but there is familiarity with what the Steelers like to do. Facing the Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh West as they are affectionately referred to in Pennsylvania, helps with the preparation.
“There’s been a lot of coaches that have come through Pittsburgh and gone through Arizona over the past few years. There are some similarities, and that’s the good thing, because you can recognize them out there.”
Richard was asked about Martavis Bryant and knows he is the Steelers’ biggest vertical threat.
“He’s running by guys. 27 catches, averaging 20 yards per catch…Roethlisberger’s going put the ball, he doesn’t care if the guy is covered or not.”
The numbers foreshadow an exciting matchup. The Steelers have 14 completions of 40+ yards this year. No one else in the NFL has more than 10. Juxtapose that to the Seahawks’ defense allowing only two such completions, tied for the fewest mark in the league. An unstoppable force versus an immovable object type battle. Their secondary should also see a boost with the return of cornerback Jeremy Lane, who suffered a severe arm injury in the Super Bowl. Starter Cary Williams was benched last week against the San Francisco 49ers.
