The Pittsburgh Steelers had a chance to build a very comfortable lead atop the AFC North, but they started too slowly against the Indianapolis Colts. Following up last week’s disaster with another loss would not inspire confidence. The Dallas Cowboys are missing several key players, so the Steelers have a favorable matchup. Former general manager Michael Lombardi broke why the Steelers will win as simply as possible.
“The game is simple,” Lombardi said on a recent episode of his podcast, The GM Shuffle. “If Pittsburgh makes you throw it on three Mississippi, they’re going to beat your ass. But if you can block T.J. Watt and make it five Mississippi, you can throw the ball on them. That’s as simple as it can be. And I don’t think Dallas can do that.”
Lombardi is correct. That is as simple as it can get. It’s correct, too. Take the Colts game, for example. The Steelers only sacked quarterback Joe Flacco twice, and Watt’s presence wasn’t really felt. They couldn’t put pressure on the quarterback, resulting in the Colts dominating them for most of the game.
Part of that was also because the Colts ran the ball effectively. That helped them neutralize the pass rush from the Steelers. The Cowboys likely won’t have that same success. They have seriously struggled to run the ball this year, basically being one-dimensional on offense. The Steelers should have an easier time teeing off on quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys’ offensive line also has some issues. Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton has been having a hard time adjusting to the NFL level. Center Cooper Beebe is also a rookie, which should give Cam Heyward and the rest of the Steelers’ interior defensive line a chance to cause havoc. They aren’t as complete of a unit as the Colts offensive line.
However, that’s not to say they’re without their stars. Their guards are both great players. Veteran Zack Martin will likely enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. Young guard Tyler Smith also had an excellent sophomore campaign last year, being named a Second-team All-Pro and making the Pro Bowl.
The Steelers have arguably the best pass rush in the NFL, though. Even without Alex Highsmith, they should be able to disrupt Prescott on multiple occasions. As Lombardi says, that could end up being the key to the game. Hopefully, the Steelers will have more success in that department this week.
