T.J. Watt and the Steelers defense know they have a tough task on their hands with Anthony Richardson this Sunday.
Richardson has Ben Roethlisberger-esque size standing 6 -4 and weighing 245 pounds. To top it off, he’s an athletic freak who tested off the charts at last year’s Combine, posing a difficult challenge for the Steelers pass rushers when trying to bring him down.
“Big guy,” Watt said of Richardson during his Friday press conference. “He is gonna be a tough guy to get down when you get to him. I think there’s only four sacks so far in the season for them.”
Billed as a dual-threat quarterback when coming into the league, Richardson has been as advertised. Thanks to his sturdy build and mobility, the Steelers’ front will need to be extra cautious when tackling the quarterback. This could pose for an increased point of interest at the edge-rusher spot opposite Watt.
Alex Highsmith was declared out for Sunday’s game, opening the door for Nick Herbig. Making his first NFL start, Herbig will have to be exceptionally careful when trying to take down Richardson. In comparison to Highsmith, he gives up roughly two inches in height and 10 pounds, also working in Richardson’s favor. Herbig did have success when playing last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, so hopefully it won’t be too much of a hurdle.
What may prove to be a bigger issue when getting to the quarterback is the Colts’ offensive line. It is rated as the best in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, and Indianapolis has only allowed four sacks this season in addition to being the 11th-best rushing team in the league. While the team still has two star linemen in Quenton Nelson and Bernhard Raimann, center Ryan Kelly and tackle Braden Smith both missed practice on Friday. Going against PFF’s top-rated defensive line in Pittsburgh, could spell trouble for the Colts.
This will be the Steelers’ biggest test to date in terms of a mobile and difficult-to-sack quarterback compared to Kirk Cousins, Bo Nix and Justin Herbert. In the same breath it will be Richardson’s biggest test, facing the best pass-rushing defense in the NFL with a 42.7% pressure rate. Together, it should make for a competitive matchup come Sunday.
