As we’ll do every week to get you ready for the upcoming game, our X-Factor of the week. Sometimes it’s a player, unit, concept, or scheme. Here’s our X factor for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
X FACTOR: Outside Cornerbacks
I’m keeping it pretty vague with “outside cornerbacks” because there’s a rotation and a level of uncertainty here. Especially as they enter the week with three “questionable” corners in Joey Porter Jr., Levi Wallace, and James Pierre.
Pittsburgh’s defense has made a splash, they’ve carried this team to victory more than once, but they’re not what I’d call a stout unit. Not even all that close. They make splash plays, they take the ball away, and that’s incredibly important in this day and age and for how the Steelers win (reduce possessions, keep the score down, give the offense short fields for points) but they allow as many big plays as they give up.
Run defense is an ongoing problem and they’re rough at stopping it out of sub-packages. That won’t change until Cam Heyward returns. But the pass defense can be the killer. The explosive, game-changing moments like the 31-yard touchdown given up to Rams WR TuTu Atwell last week. Or Puca Nakua making big play after big play.
The Jaguars come into the game with two weapons on the outside in Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley. Kirk is Trevor Lawrence’s top target but Ridley is a gamebreaker. His game and production can run hot-and-cold but when he hits, he hits big. Pittsburgh’s corners on the outside will have to stand up in the face of that. They have to tackle well or else those guys can make a house call. And they have a QB in Trevor Lawrence who can get them the ball. As Dave Bryan pointed out, Lawrence’s passing chart is concentrated on the outside. They don’t have a true slot receiver and TE Evan Engram works a bit shorter and can also work on the outside, a unique and tough matchup as a “move” tight end.
Whoever is on the outside has to bring it. Rookie Joey Porter Jr. will of course play there, most of his snaps coming on the left side. Patrick Peterson will float between a bunch of positions, playing a season-high number of slot snaps a week ago but also seeing work at the left and right corners. Levi Wallace, James Pierre, and who knows, Luq Barcoo, could be other options. Wallace has struggled while Pierre has barely played and Barcoo hasn’t taken a defensive snap this season, spending the first seven weeks on the practice squad.
It’s not going to be easy. The pass rush is going to need pressure and the safeties must provide support, but the Steelers’ corners have to step up. In some ways, they did against the Rams, taking away WR Cooper Kupp and making key fourth-quarter stops, but it didn’t feel like it was supposed to be. Too much YAC, too much splash. Expecting perfection against those guys is fruitless but they must play better. No question about that.
