For the first time since 2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers are making the voyage to the Great Northwest to battle the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
The last time Pittsburgh made the trek, the Steelers came up short in a 39-30 shootout. In fact, the Steelers haven’t won in Seattle in nearly 40 years. That’s quite a long time.
They’ll look to change that Sunday at 4:30 p.m. when the two 8-7 teams matchup with plenty of playoff implications on the line for both franchise. To do so, the Steelers will need to come up big in a handful of matchups, as usual, on both sides of the football.
Below are my four key matchups to watch Sunday between the Steelers and Seahawks at Lumen Field.
Steelers’ OLB T.J. Watt vs. Seahawks’ RT Abraham Lucas
Really, any right tackle that Steelers’ outside linebacker T.J. Watt lines up against is at a disadvantage. This week, it’s Seattle second-year pro Abraham Lucas.
The last time Watt faced the Seahawks in 2021 he had two sacks, including one late that forced a fumble on Geno Smith, leading to the Steelers recovering and sealing the win. This time, he gets to go against Lucas, who has struggled in the last month since returning from injury, allowing 13 pressures and two sacks, including a sack in two of the last three weeks.
Watt leads the NFL in sacks and is on pace to make NFL history by leading the league in sacks for a third straight season. He’s in the running for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award, too, which is no small feat.
With the Steelers’ season up against a wall and needing a win on the road to have a shot at the playoffs, Watt is going to need to make a major impact once again. The Seahawks and head coach Pete Carroll say they have a plan for how to deal with him on every rep Sunday, but plenty of coaches have said that in the past and had very little success. Watt is a game wrecker and shows that each and every week.
Sunday in Seattle should be no different, especially against Lucas.
Steelers’ WR George Pickens vs. Seahawks’ DB Devon Witherspoon
Two feisty, physical players that love to talk smack. What could possibly go wrong?
Last week, Steelers’ WR George Pickens went off after a tumultuous week, hauling in four passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, he’s looking for an encore against a stingy Seattle pass defense that hasn’t allowed many explosive plays in recent weeks.
They should get a boost with potential return of Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite Devon Witherspoon Sunday. Should Witherspoon play — ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said it’s 60/40 he’ll play — he’d draw the matchup against Pickens due to his physicality.
Witherspoon is a tremendous cornerback, one that grades out at an 83.3 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 77.7 in coverage. He’s allowed just 34 receptions on 64 targets this season for just 367 yards. He has allowed four touchdowns, but has one interception and 10 pass breakups on the season.
Pickens will have a big test in front of him, both physically and mentally. Witherspoon is going to mix it up physically, and he’s definitely going to talk throughout the game. This is the time for Pickens to show he’s matured some and keep his whits about him, avoiding those killer mistakes that end up costing the team.
Steelers’ CB Joey Porter Jr. vs. Seahawks’ WR DK Metcalf
This is a matchup that’s been circled on the schedule since Steelers’ rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. stepped into the starting lineup in Week Eight.
A long, physical corner, Porter has had great success since being inserted into the lineup. He’s allowed just 22 receptions on the season and just a 46.8% completion percentage on the year. He’s rarely making mistakes in coverage and is drawing the top assignments weekly, thriving against some of the biggest names in the game at the position.
Now, he’ll get a shot against Metcalf, who is one of the hottest wide receivers in football right now with six touchdowns in six weeks, including three touchdowns just a few weeks ago. He’s a height/weight/speed specimen that can run a complete route tree. He creates ample separation in his routes, and on routes he can’t create separation he’s able to win at the catch point with his physicality.
This matchup will be, without a doubt, the toughest one of the season for Porter. He’s had some issues with penalties this season as he’s been a bit grab-happy, but when it comes to the complete package at the position he hasn’t seen it yet like Metcalf. Can’t wait to see how he handles the matchup.
Steelers’ Run Game vs. Seahawks’ Run Defense
Entering Sunday’s matchup, the Seahawks have one of the league’s worst run defenses, allowing 129.6 yards per game on the ground to opponents. They’ve been gashed time and time again and really haven’t had any answers in that area this season.
They might not have any answers on Sunday against the Steelers, either.
Pittsburgh has been much better in the second half of the season running the football with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren providing great balance to the Steelers’ offense as a lethal 1-2 punch out of the backfield. On the season, Pittsburgh averages 110.2 yards per game on the ground, and when the offense is at its best, it features a heavy dose of Harris and Warren wearing down defenses.
With Mason Rudolph starting for the second straight week, chances are good the Steelers will look to come out and establish the run early and often Sunday in Seattle. Being able to run the football consistently will take a ton of pressure off of Rudolph in a loud, hostile environment, and could even take the crowd out of it.
