With a pair of NFL regular-season games already in the rearview mirror, the attention shifts to Sunday’s season openers across the majority of the league. That includes the new-look Pittsburgh Steelers, who head to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Jets.
Big names and new faces dominate the storylines surrounding the Steelers. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf, and tight end Jonnu Smith are among the well-known players added to the offense, while defensive back Jalen Ramsey and cornerback Darius Slay headline new faces on the defense.
Some of those new pieces didn’t play at all in the preseason for the Steelers, so Sunday against the Jets will be their Black and Gold debut.
Following what we did last year here at Steelers Depot, myself, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, Scott Brown, Troy Montgomery, Jake Brockhoff and Dr. Melanie Friedlander will answer four key questions weekly, previewing the games.
Lett’s talk about the Steelers’ season opener against the Jets.
QUESTION 1: WHO IS THE STEELERS’ X FACTOR AGAINST THE JETS?
Josh Carney: ILB Payton Wilson. The Jets want to be a downhill, power running team, and have the speed and physicality to really wear down defenses. Add QB Justin Fields as a dynamic rushing threat and the Jets could really be a handful for defenses sideline to sideline. That’s where Wilson comes in.
He’s stepping into the starting role next to Patrick Queen this season and seems to be well on his way to a second-year leap based on his training camp and preseason. He needs to carry that over into the regular season. Wilson had issues getting off blocks in 2024, and he’ll have the Jets running downhill right at him throughout the game. He needs to show he can hold up and make plays against the run in an expanded role. If he does, the Steelers’ defense could really put the clamps on New York.
Joe Clark: TE Pat Freiermuth. The Jets will have Sauce Gardner on DK Metcalf, and while Metcalf can still get his, the Steelers need another target to step up. With Arthur Smith claiming the Steelers will use the middle of the field more, Freiermuth has a good opportunity to get off to a strong start and prove he can be a legitimate weapon in the passing game.
Ross McCorkle: DT Yahya Black. Rookie fifth-round picks don’t often play in Week 1 as much as Black is about to. He looked great in the preseason and has every opportunity to carry that over into a solid regular-season debut.
Scott Brown: DB Jalen Ramsey. The seven-time Pro Bowler will be better than the good-but-not-great Minkah Fitzpatrick, even if it’s not a direct comparison. There is only one Troy Polamalu, but Ramsey is the closest thing the Steelers have had to such a chess piece before age sapped Polamalu of his speed. It will be fun to see how the Steelers move Ramsey around as they try to confuse Jets QB Justin Fields.
Troy Montgomery: TE Jonnu Smith. DK Metcalf is great, but the Steelers need someone else to step up in the passing game. OC Arthur Smith loves utilizing tight ends, and Jonnu Smith has benefitted from that before. His career started to blossom under Arthur Smith. Last season he had a career year with the Miami Dolphins, making his first Pro Bowl.
He has a chance to build on that in Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ tight end room is crowded, but Smith should be able to stick out. Against the Jets’ strong defense, he could have a chance to make an instant impact with his new team.
Jake Brockhoff: RB Jaylen Warren. Over the last few years, fans have longed for Warren to get his chance as the Steelers’ lead back. Sunday represents his first opportunity in that role. Kenneth Gainwell’s not going to get a massive share of the carries, and Kaleb Johnson simply isn’t ready for a heavy workload.
It’s also going to be Aaron Rodgers’ first time leading the Steelers’ offense. He didn’t play in the preseason, and neither did his top two receivers in DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III. With the passing game potentially sputtering to begin the game, Warren needs to find a rhythm early. If he can, it will really help the offense settle down against a talented Jets defense.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander: QB Aaron Rodgers. It may seem like the lazy choice, but he’s the clear X factor for the Steelers, but not for the reason many would guess. Rodgers was held out the entire preseason and has to shake off the cobwebs. He needs to play smart and resist the urge to do too much and put the entire offense on his shoulders.
QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE MATCHUP TO WATCH IN STEELERS-JETS?
Josh Carney: Steelers NT Keeanu Benton vs. Jets C/RG Josh Myers and Joe Tippmann. With RG Alijah Vera-Tucker lost for the season to a torn triceps he sustained on Wednesday, the Jets have to reshuffle their offensive line. Tippman slides to right guard and Myers steps in at center. It’s a configuration the Jets are putting together on the fly.
That bodes well for Benton, who is entering a crucial Year 3 in Pittsburgh. The Wisconsin product reshaped his body this offseason to better handle the nose tackle position, so he needs to be able to play the run better. With first-round pick Derrick Harmon out with a knee injury, Benton should see more snaps in sub-package football as well. He needs to have an impactful day in the trenches, especially against a new interior of the Jets’ OL.
Joe Clark: WR DK Metcalf vs. CB Sauce Gardner. There’s been a lot of hype about the Steelers’ secondary options behind Metcalf, but they haven’t proven anything yet. This team is going to be reliant on Metcalf, and he’s going to need to be productive against one of the top cornerbacks in the league.
Ross McCorkle: ILBs Patrick Queen/Payton Wilson vs. RB Breece Hall. It’s time for the Steelers’ athletic duo in the middle to show they can reliably make tackles and cover running backs out of the backfield. Hall will require them to do plenty of both.
Scott Brown: LT Broderick Jones vs. DE Jermaine Johnson. Troy Fautanu faces the sterner test on the other end of the offensive line, but all eyes will be on Jones. Aaron Rodgers can still throw passes from anywhere – except on his back. Jones must keep the 41-year-old QB upright this season and establish himself as a cornerstone of the Steelers’ offensive line. It starts at MetLife Stadium.
Troy Montgomery: C Zach Frazier vs. DL Quinnen Williams. The Steelers’ offensive line has a lot of pressure on it to protect Aaron Rodgers this season. Frazier has even more responsibility on his shoulders snapping the ball to Rodgers. He had a great rookie season, and the Steelers are hoping that he can build on that.
He won’t have a chance to ease into things this season, though. The Jets have a talented defensive line, headlined by Williams, a former All-Pro. He’s one of the best defensive linemen in the league, and he’ll test how much Frazier has developed his game. Williams could disrupt the Steelers’ run and pass game, so they’ll need to keep him in check as best they can.
Jake Brockhoff: Steelers OLB T.J. Watt vs. Jets RT Armand Membou. New York’s rookie right tackle has a ton of potential and was a first-round selection for a reason. However, he’s got about as tough of a task as possible in his first NFL game, facing T.J. Watt.
Watt obviously knows how to get the job done, but the Steelers are making efforts to be more flexible with him this season. He may move around and throw different looks at Membou more than we’ve seen from him in the past. With Alijah Vera-Tucker going down with an injury, this matchup gets even harder for Membou. If Watt can get off to a good start, it could throw a wrench into the Jets’ plans early.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander: OLB T.J. Watt vs. Jets OT Armand Membou. Membou was the seventh overall pick this year and brings athleticism, but Watt is healthy and hungry and could have a very dominant day.
QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO THE GAME FOR THE STEELERS?
Josh Carney: A balanced offensive attack. The Steelers want to be able to run the football, utilize play-action and take shots deep down the field. You can’t do that if you aren’t balanced, and that starts with a consistent run game.
Throughout training camp and the preseason, the run game was a bit of a concern, especially with the first-team offensive line. Isaac Seumalo is back healthy at left guard, and the group up front appears to be rounding into form. It will have to get off to a solid start Sunday against a good Jets defensive front. Run the football, protect Aaron Rodgers, sustain some drives.
Joe Clark: Win the turnover battle. It’s something the Steelers have done more than anyone over the last few seasons, and Aaron Rodgers is as good as any quarterback at limiting turnovers. The Steelers have a talent advantage, but winning the turnover battle would go a long, long way toward earning a Week 1 victory.
Ross McCorkle: Play clean football. On talent alone, the Steelers have the clear edge. The way to suffer an unlikely defeat is for them to play sloppy and beat themselves with bad penalties. The starters showed some of that in their limited preseason play, so hopefully they got that out of their system.
Scott Brown: Aaron Rodgers getting the better of Justin Fields: They can play the cool cat thing all they want but they are human. Of course, they will want to stick it to their former team — Rodgers maybe even more so than Fields. Will that lead one or both to force something at an inopportune time? In a low-scoring game, the difference could be the mistakes Rodgers and Fields avoid, rather than the plays they make.
Troy Montgomery: Containing Justin Fields. Fields isn’t the best quarterback in the league, but he’s a dynamic runner. The Jets will surely want to play to that strength. The Steelers sound like they have a plan to limit Fields’ mobility, but that’s easier said than done. If they allow him to make plays with his legs, it could be a long day for them. They’re too talented to get pushed around on the ground.
Jake Brockhoff: Stop. The. Run. The Steelers’ secondary is talented enough, and Justin Fields isn’t a proven passer at this level quite yet. New York knows its best plan of action isn’t through the air.
However, the Jets have the potential to be very strong on the ground. Breece Hall and Braelon Allen can do some damage. And Steelers fans got a close view of what Fields can do with his legs last year. If New York gets into a rhythm with the run game, it can control the clock and start to wear down Pittsburgh’s front seven. The Steelers can’t let that happen.
Dr. Melanie Friedlander: The Steelers’ defense has the chance to control this game, and it all starts up front. Jets HC Aaron Glenn has been clear that he wants his offense to have a physical rushing attack, but the Jets have a young offensive line and just lost their right guard for the year. If the front seven can stop the run, they can then apply pressure to Jets QB Justin Fields, who averaged over three seconds from snap to throw last season.
QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR STEELERS AT JETS?
Josh Carney: Even with all of the uncertainty regarding the Steelers’ offense under Rodgers, I think the Steelers can lean on the star-studded defense early on the road, drag the Jets into the mud once again, and find a way to win an ugly game. Chris Boswell will be huge in this one once again. Steelers 16, Jets 10
Joe Clark: Aaron Rodgers has something to prove, and while I don’t think the offense is going to blow our socks off against the Jets, they’ll do enough to win. A big day from T.J. Watt and Pittsburgh’s defense will limit the Jets, who score a garbage-time touchdown to make things look closer than they really were. Steelers 24, Jets 16
Ross McCorkle: I worry that the offense will get off to a slow start, which will allow the Jets to lean into the run. Look for the Steelers to fall behind early and Aaron Rodgers to dig them out of the hole in the second half against his former team. Steelers 21, Jets 17
Scott Brown: If the Steelers’ defense is as advertised, it will allow the offense to smooth out what are sure to be some rough edges early. The Steelers score two touchdowns, one after a defensive takeaway serves up a short field, and Chris Boswell boots a late field goal to put the game out of reach. Steelers 20, Jets 10
Troy Montgomery: The Steelers made a lot of changes to their offense, but I don’t expect them to come out guns blazing in Week 1. Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf have yet to suit up for them. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. I think the Steelers’ offense is in for a slow start. However, I also think that their defense is going to give the Jets’ offense a ton of problems. That should be enough to get them the win, even if it’s a frustrating game. Steelers 17, Jets 13
Jake Brockhoff: This is a game the Steelers should win, but I don’t expect it to be pretty. As the offense starts to build in-stadium chemistry, they’ll rely on their defense on this one. That unit has too much talent to struggle with an offense that’s working to find its own identity. Steelers 20, Jets 16
Dr. Melanie Friedlander: The Steelers’ defense should be able to limit the Jets’ scoring opportunities, continuing that trend from last season, while Rodgers will likely find his receivers and tight ends in the end zone on Sunday. Steelers 27, Jets 17
