All the hype and anticipation will come to a boil Sunday as the Pittsburgh Steelers kick off against the New York Jets at 1 p.m. inside MetLife Stadium. The new faces will all hit the field together for the Black and Gold for the first time, doing so in a meaningful game right out of the gate.
Aaron Rodgers dominates the storyline entering the matchup, as he’s going against his former team and might be looking for revenge (though he won’t openly say it). DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Jonnu Smith will all don the Steelers jersey for the first time together, and the whirlwind offseason for the Black and Gold will come to fruition on the field.
How it will look is anyone’s guess, but the Steelers have a good deal of confidence entering the matchup. It might be a low-scoring, ugly game as both teams are working in new pieces across the board. The Steelers have a history of success with dragging teams into the mud and winning ugly games, though.
There will be games within the game to watch, developing storylines, and so much more. Make sure to keep an eye on key individual matchups. That’s the biggest thing. There are plenty of them this week from top to bottom in all three phases for the Steelers against the Jets.
Below are my four key matchups to watch Sunday.
STEELERS WR DK METCALF VS. JETS CB SAUCE GARDNER
This is the marquee matchup of the season opener, at least on paper. It depends on if the Jets under defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will allow his All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to travel with new Steelers star receiver DK Metcalf. If he does, the Jets should have the advantage, simply based on past matchups between the two.
Last season in the Jets-Seahawks matchup, Gardner dominated Metcalf, holding him to one catch for 28 yards on four targets. Gardner had a coverage grade of 90.1 against Metcalf in that game, according to Pro Football Focus. Going back to the 2022 matchup, too, Gardner dominated. He held Metcalf to one catch for three yards in that matchups as well.
So, two matchups, seven targets, two receptions for 31 yards for Metcalf against Gardner.
That has to change Sunday. The Steelers have some questions at WR2 behind Metcalf, with the likes of Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson and Scotty Miller needing to step up, not to mention TEs Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith.
But Metcalf has to be the true No. 1 right out of the gate that the Steelers expected when they traded for him and gave him a lucrative extension. He has a tough task against Gardner.
STEELERS LT BRODERICK JONES VS. JETS OLB JERMAINE JOHNSON
Moving back to left tackle after two seasons at right tackle, Broderick Jones is in his comfort spot. He has one career start at left tackle in his career, which came in his rookie year, so it’s going to be an adjustment. He had some ups and downs during training camp, dealt with a groin injury and struggled early on. But he finished training camp and the preseason strong and looks like a guy ready to turn the corner.
He’ll draw a tough assignment of Jets OLB Jermaine Johnson and possibly even Will McDonald IV on Sunday. Johnson is coming off of a torn Achilles, but he’s made a great recovery to get back on the field so quickly. He’s a force when healthy. In 2023 he had 7.5 sacks and 56 pressures. He played just 82 snaps last season, though.
The Steelers must keep Rodgers upright this season, and it starts Sunday in MetLife. Jones will be a massive part of that.
JETS RT ARMAND MEMBOU VS. STEELERS OLB T.J. WATT
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers have an advantage from a pass rush perspective. Star OLB T.J. Watt will find himself matched up with rookie RT Armand Membou, who was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Membou will make his first career start without standout guard Alijah Vera-Tucker next to him, putting him on an island a bit more.
Watt remains one of the best defenders in football. He’s coming off of down season though with just 11.5 sacks and 56 pressures. He has a chip on his shoulder and wants to show the contract extension this offseason from the Steelers was worth it for the franchise. That will start right away in Week 1 in a matchup he has a clear advantage in.
The Jets have a plan for Watt, but everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Shoutout to Mike Tyson. Watt needs to show he’s the “Baddest Man on the Planet” off the edge.
JETS OC TANNER ENGSTRAND VS. STEELERS DC TERYL AUSTIN
It’s going to be a great game of cat and mouse Sunday inside MetLife Stadium, especially when the Jets have the football. First-year offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand will make his debut calling plays after spending the last two seasons as the passing game coordinator for the Detroit Lions. He’ll do so with Justin Fields under center against an experienced Steelers defense that is the highest-paid unit in the NFL and has star power at all three levels.
Teryl Austin is an experienced coordinator who appears to be trying to change things up this season. The Steelers seem ready to be more aggressive this season with different blitzes, helping generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With the chess pieces the Steelers now have in Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay to move around, not to mention an elite linebacker corps and the best defensive front in football, Pittsburgh can afford to be aggressive and really get after the Jets.
Austin could have Engstrand in a blender early, should the Steelers play their cards right and come out aggressive.
