If there’s one thing the New York Jets want to do well this season, it’s running the ball. And if there’s one area the Steelers addressed in this year’s draft, it was an effort to stop the run. Thus, we’ve got an interesting match on our hands this Sunday. It’s one that Breece Hall expects to be extremely physical.
“It’s definitely gonna be bloody,” Hall said while speaking to the media Friday. “It’s gonna be a hard game, you know. We’re gonna have to run the ball. Whoever runs the ball the best is gonna win the game. So, whoever out-physicals the other team, that’s gonna be the ultimate outcome of it.”
If these teams both run the ball well, the game could finish up well before the rest of the early Sunday slate. Hall mentions that whoever runs the ball the best will win, and he’s probably right. The Steelers aren’t going to want to rely on Aaron Rodgers and the receiving corps too much, with them having zero in-game reps together before Sunday. Neither will the Jets, who face a talented Pittsburgh secondary with a limited receiving group of their own.
That said, one thing the Jets could do very well is run the ball. Breece Hall himself is a weapon with the ball in his hands. Although he was held relatively quiet on the ground in the Steelers-Jets matchup last year, he did hurt them through the air.
Aside from him, Braelon Allen is an encouraging young back as well. Steelers fans haven’t forgotten about Justin Fields and his agility, either. He used his legs to the Steelers’ advantage last year and could be more of a weapon in that regard come Sunday than through the air.
However, the Steelers have a lot of talent on their front seven to combat that. Hall shouted out a few Steelers’ defenders specifically.
“You know, they got two very good guys [Watt and Highsmith] on the edge,” Hall said. “A really good linebacker in Payton Wilson, and another one in Patrick Queen.”
If the Steelers are going to surpass their first-round playoff exit from last year, they certainly need to be better at stopping the run. This matchup against New York is a terrific first test. The Jets are going to try and establish the ground game early. If successful, they can then control the clock and the tempo of the game from there on out.
It’s crucial for Pittsburgh to not let that happen. This is a game that’s likely going to be won in the trenches, and Breece Hall is well aware of that.
