{"id":62707,"date":"2025-09-19T08:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T12:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=62707"},"modified":"2025-09-19T08:08:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T12:08:18","slug":"morse-week-3-preview-of-the-pittsburgh-steelers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/09\/19\/morse-week-3-preview-of-the-pittsburgh-steelers\/","title":{"rendered":"MORSE: Week 3 Preview of the Pittsburgh Steelers"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the synopsis from NFL Analyst Warren Sharpe. \u201cI\u2019m tempted to give you one sentence on the Steelers: I don\u2019t know why they are doing it this way, and I don\u2019t know how they are doing it this way. Some teams are truly incompetent and lose games as a result. Some teams are competent and lose games because it\u2019s tough to win in the NFL. Some teams are competent and win games because they have the quarterback, head coach, and play callers to get it done. And then there is the Steelers\u201d!<\/p>\n

The Steelers won 10 games last year despite leading at halftime in just five games. It was the same exact result in 2023.\u00a0 A tremendous amount of credit has to be given to Head Coach Mike Tomlin.\u00a0 You may not like him, but you have to give him your respect for the job he has done in Pittsburgh, having his team in contention every year.<\/p>\n

Sharpe cites the following statistics about the Steelers over the past 5 seasons.\u00a0 \u201cThere have been 61 teams to win 10 or more games in the last five seasons. Of those 61 offenses, the Steelers over the last two years rank: #59 & #60 in yards per play #58 & #59 in success rate #56 & #60 in EPA per play\u201d.\u00a0 They shouldn\u2019t be winning, but they are!<\/p>\n

Upon completing this review of the Steelers, I was impressed with the amount of high draft choices that remain with this team.\u00a0 They draft well and develop their players, and that is why they are in contention every year.<\/p>\n

Offense 3WR 1TE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n4th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
QB<\/td>\nAaron Rodgers<\/td>\nMason Rudolph<\/td>\nWill Howard IR<\/td>\nSkylar Thompson IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RB<\/td>\nJaylen Warren<\/td>\nKenneth Gainwell<\/td>\nKaleb Johnson<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nDK Metcalf<\/td>\nScotty Miller<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nCalvin Austin<\/td>\nBen Skowronek<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nRoman Wilson<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TE<\/td>\nJonnu Smith<\/td>\nPat Freiermuth<\/td>\nDarnell Washington<\/td>\nDonald Parham<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FB<\/td>\nConnor Heyward<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LT<\/td>\nBroderick\u00a0Jones<\/td>\nCalvin Anderson<\/td>\nGareth\u00a0Warren IR<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LG<\/td>\nIsaac Seumalo<\/td>\nSpencer Anderson<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C<\/td>\nZach Frazier<\/td>\nRyan McCollum<\/td>\n<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RG<\/td>\nMason McCormick<\/td>\nMax Scharping O<\/td>\n<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RT<\/td>\nTroy Fautanu<\/td>\nAndrus Peat<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Steelers went out and secured Aaron Rodgers on June 6th<\/sup>, late in the Free Agency period.\u00a0 In his first start for Pittsburgh, he went on the road and beat his former team, the NY Jets.\u00a0 In that game, he was 22 of 30 for 244 yards, a TD, and no Interceptions.\u00a0 Last week in a bad loss at home to the Seattle Seahawks, he was 18 of 33 for 203 yards a TD and 2 INTs.\u00a0 His PFF grade for the season is 58.3 good for 34th<\/sup> in the league.\u00a0 Four non-starters had a better grade than he did.\u00a0 That would put him at #30 of 32 starters.<\/p>\n

There is no questioning Rodgers’ talent.\u00a0 He has been league MVP 4 times, selected 1st<\/sup> team All-Pro 4 times, and 2nd<\/sup> team once.\u00a0 \u00a0In his 20-year career, he was selected to the Pro Bowl 10 times.\u00a0 However, at age 41 and entering his 21st season, does he have enough left in the tank?<\/p>\n

Mason Rudolph is a former starter and is a capable backup.\u00a0 They lost Rookie Will Howard and Skylar Thompson to injury, and both are on IR.<\/p>\n

At running back, it was addition by subtraction when they jettisoned Najee Harris.\u00a0 This gives 4th<\/sup> year player Jaylen Warren the opportunity to show what he can do.\u00a0 So far, the jury is out as he has rushed 25 times for 85 yards (3.4 YPC).\u00a0 He does lead the team with 6 catches on 6 targets for 108 yards, thanks to a 54-yard catch and run. The 5\u20198\u201d 215-pound back out of Oklahoma State ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at his Pro Day.\u00a0 \u00a0He went undrafted and signed with Pittsburgh as a UDFA.<\/p>\n

Kenneth Gainwell, signed from the Eagles this offseason, is a scat back and excellent receiver.\u00a0 He has 6 receptions on 9 targets, for just 20 yards.\u00a0 They drafted Kaleb Johnson this year out of Iowa. He was a highly productive back in college, and the team and fans were very excited they drafted him.\u00a0 He is off to a slow start, as are most rookies at this time of year.\u00a0 Johnson is much bigger than I thought he was, standing 6\u20191\u201d 224-pounds.\u00a0 He ran a pedestrian 5.57 40-yard dash at the Combine.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh traded for DK Metcalf and then traded George Pickens.\u00a0 Metcalf is an upgrade, but the Steelers lack complementary receivers.\u00a0 Alex Austin and Roman Wilson are on the smaller side.\u00a0 I liked Wilson coming out of Michigan in the 2024 draft.\u00a0 He runs precise routes and is very quick.<\/p>\n

The Offensive line is young and inexperienced.<\/p>\n

LT Broderick Jones (year 3) \u2013 #76 among tackles in pressure rate and committed 10 penalties<\/p>\n

LG Isaac Seumalo (year 10) \u2013 graded #27 among guards but #47 in pressure rate*<\/p>\n

C Zach Frazier (year 2) \u2013 graded #6 among centers<\/p>\n

RG Mason McCormick (year 2) \u2013 graded #59 among guards<\/p>\n

RT Troy Fautanu (year 2) \u2013 missed all but one game with a knee injury<\/p>\n

*24 hurries allowed was the #1 most of any guard that started 14 or fewer games<\/p>\n

I like their group of young linemen, and as they grow with experience, they could be a very good and solid line, but they are not there yet.<\/p>\n

The line are big-bodied players starting with Left Tackle Braxton Jones.\u00a0 The 6\u20195\u201d311-pound Tackle played for Georgia and was selected by Pittsburgh in the 1st<\/sup> round (14) of the 2023 Draft.\u00a0 In fact, it was the Patriots that traded the 14th<\/sup> pick to Pittsburgh allowing them to take Jones.\u00a0 We could have used him, but we then tool Christian Gonzalez as he dropped into their lap.\u00a0 Through 2 games he has 49 PFF Grade which is 68th<\/sup> in the league.\u00a0 Veteran Isaac Seumalo is entering his 10th<\/sup> season in the league.\u00a0 The 31-year-old, 6\u20194″, 303-pound Guard played at the University of Hawaii and was drafted in the 2016 Draft by Philadelphia in the 3rd<\/sup> round (79).\u00a0 His PFF Grade is 51.9 good for 68th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Zach Frazier is a 6\u20193\u201d 310-pound Center played collegiately at West Virginia. The 2nd-year\u00a0player was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 2nd<\/sup> round (51) of the 2024 Draft.\u00a0 His PFF grade is a very good 62.5, good for #17 amongst Centers.\u00a0 Rounding out the starters is Troy Fautanu is a player the Patriots eyed in last year\u2019s draft.\u00a0 The 6\u20194\u201d, 317-pound Tackle out of Washington was taken by Pittsburgh in the 1st<\/sup> round (20).\u00a0 The Patriots were hoping he lasted until their pick at #34.\u00a0 Fautanu missed all but one game last year.\u00a0 His PFF Grade is 51.5 good for 70th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Max Scharping a key backup suffered a knee injury in practice on Wednesday and should be out for a significant amount of time.<\/p>\n

The Patriots’ pass rush is #1 in the league with 9, despite Tua Tagovailoa getting rid of the ball so quickly.\u00a0 Both the Patriots and Steelers have given up 7 sacks apiece.\u00a0 I think this will be a big advantage for the Patriots’ pass rushers against a young O-line, especially Fautanu, having to deal with Harold Landry.<\/p>\n

Tight Ends are a big part of the Offense for the Steelers.\u00a0 The Patriots have had difficulty covering Tight Ends.\u00a0 Pat Freiermuth is an underrated TE.\u00a0 He has 6 receptions on 7 targets for 59 yards.\u00a0 Former Patriots Jonnu Smith was acquired from the Dolphins and has contributed 9 catches on 10 targets for another 42 yards and a TD.<\/p>\n

Defense Base 3-4<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n4th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LDE<\/td>\nCameron\u00a0Heyward<\/td>\nLogan Lee<\/td>\nEsezi Otomewo<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NT<\/td>\nKeeanu Benton<\/td>\nDaniel Ekuale<\/td>\nYahya Black<\/td>\nDomenique\u00a0Davis IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RDE<\/td>\nDerrick Harmon\u00a0Q<\/td>\nDeMarvin Leal<\/td>\nIsaiahh Loudermilk\u00a0IR<\/td>\nDean Lowry\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WLB<\/td>\nT.J. Watt<\/td>\nJack Sawyer<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LILB<\/td>\nPatrick Queen<\/td>\nMalik\u00a0Harrison IR<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RILB<\/td>\nPayton\u00a0Wilson<\/td>\nCole Holcomb<\/td>\nCarson Bruener<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SLB<\/td>\nAlex Highsmith\u00a0O<\/td>\nNick Herbig<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LCB<\/td>\nDarius Slay<\/td>\nCory Trice Jr.\u00a0IR<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SS<\/td>\nDeShon\u00a0Elliott Q<\/td>\nChuck Clark<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FS<\/td>\nJuan Thornhill<\/td>\nJabrill Peppers<\/td>\nMiles Killebrew<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RCB<\/td>\nJoey Porter Jr.\u00a0Q<\/td>\nBrandin Echols<\/td>\nJames Pierre<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NB<\/td>\nJalen Ramsey<\/td>\nDonte Kent\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cameron Heyward anchors the down lineman.\u00a0 The 36-year-old was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 2011 draft, 1st Round (31), and hasn\u2019t played for any other team in his 14-year career.\u00a0 His accomplishments are vast, including a 4-time All-Pro 1st team and one 2nd Team.\u00a0 Heyward was selected to 7 Pro Bowl teams.\u00a0 In 2023 Heyward was selected as the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner.\u00a0 Heyward recorded a tackle on 19.9% of his run defense snaps, ninth among all qualified defensive linemen.\u00a0 The one thing that has alluded him is a chance to play in the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

Derrick Harmon was the 2025 1st<\/sup> Round (21) selection.\u00a0 The 6\u20194\u201d, 313-pound DT from Oregon runs the 40-yard dash in 4.95, an exceptional speed.\u00a0 Harmon has been injured and missed the 1st<\/sup> two games.\u00a0 Head Coach Mike Tomlin stated that Harmon would be \u201cQuestionable at best\u201d.\u00a0 Harmon was Limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.\u00a0 Nose Tackle Keanau Benton was the 2023 2nd<\/sup> round pick (50) by Pittsburgh.\u00a0 The 6\u20194\u201d, 309-pound lineman out of Wisconsin only has 3 tackles in two games.\u00a0 His PFF Grade was 55.2. for #96.\u00a0 Old friend Daniel Ekuale has started in place of Harmon but only has two tackles.\u00a0 This team can be run on, as evidenced by two back-to-back 100-yard games.\u00a0 Breece Hall ran for 107 Week 1, with Justin Fields adding 48 more.\u00a0 Week 2 was better at home, but Kenneth Walker had 105 yards in a blowout win by the Seahawks.<\/p>\n

The linebackers are good, and they are the biggest strength for this team. Alex Highsmith has struggled with injuries, missing six games last year, but his 17.5% pressure rate while he was healthy was phenomenal. \u00a0However, he is hurt again and is Questionable (Ankle) for Sunday.\u00a0 He was a DNP at practice on Wednesday and Thursday.\u00a0 TJ Watt put together another double-digit sack season.\u00a0 The 2017 1st round (30) pick of the Steelers out of Wisconsin, the 6\u20194\u201d 252-pound Edge player has a resume that other players are envious of.\u00a0 He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020, has been selected 1st Team All-Pro 4 times, 2nd Team All-Pro twice, 7-time Pro Bowl selection, 3 3-time Deacon Jones Award winner, and a Dick Butkus Award selection. Watt was held out of practice for a veteran’s day off on Wednesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n

Alex Highsmith is listed as Out for Sunday and Did Not Practice on Wednesday and Thursday.\u00a0 Nick Herbig is listed as his backup.\u00a0 Herbig, 23, is a 6\u20192\u201d, 240-pound backer from Wisconsin.\u00a0 He was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 4th<\/sup> Round of the 2023 Draft.\u00a0 Patrick Queen is the LILB.<\/p>\n

In the secondary, the Steelers have a few injuries.\u00a0 Both RCB Joey Porter Jr and SS DeShon Elliott Did Not Practice on Wednesday or Thursday.\u00a0 Porter is an outstanding DB and another legacy player like Heyward.\u00a0 The Penn State product was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2023 in the 2nd<\/sup> Round (#32). He is a tall corner at 6\u20192\u201d, 198 pounds with 4.46 speed.\u00a0 \u00a0Porter played poorly in game one versus NY Jets.\u00a0 He has a 32.4 rating, 128th<\/sup> amongst CBs.\u00a0 Jalen Ramsey, the big acquisition in the offseason, is still a premier player in the league. The 6\u20191\u201d, 208-pound DB is listed as a Nickel Back, but could be used in Porter\u2019s spot.\u00a0 His PFF Grade is 75.9 good for 16th<\/sup> in the league. Darius Slay is another veteran (34).\u00a0 The 6\u2019 190-pound CB had a 61.5 PFF rating good for 65th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Elliott played well but is very Questionable for Sunday.\u00a0 He had a 72.3 PFF rating, 28th<\/sup> in the league.<\/p>\n

Jabrill Peppers was signed by Pittsburgh and could factor into this game.\u00a0 Juan Thornhill is the FS.\u00a0 The 6\u2019 205-pound Safety played at Virginia and was drafted by KV in 2019 Draft in 2nd<\/sup> round (63).\u00a0 His PFF rating is 47.1 for a 93rd<\/sup> ranking.\u00a0 Chuck Clark is the Strong Safety that should fill in for Elliott.\u00a0 The 6\u2019 210-pound Safety also played at Virginia and was taken by BAL in the 2017 Draft in the 6th<\/sup> round (186).\u00a0 His PFF rating is 68.2 good for 37th<\/sup> at the Safety position.<\/p>\n

Special Teams <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PK<\/td>\nChris Boswell<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/td>\nCorliss Waitman<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H<\/td>\nCorliss Waitman<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PR<\/td>\nCalvin Austin<\/td>\nScotty Miller<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KR<\/td>\nKenneth Gainwell<\/td>\nRoman Wilson<\/td>\nKaleb Johnson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LS<\/td>\nChristian\u00a0Kuntz<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

On Kickoff Returns, the Steelers’ Kaleb Johnson is averaging 23.8 YPR for a 28th rank.<\/p>\n

Punt Returner is Calvin Austin, and he is 5th<\/sup> in the league with a 10.3 Yard Per Return.<\/p>\n

Chris Boswell is a very consistent veteran and is ranked 5th<\/sup> in the League with a perfect 5 for 5 on FGs and 4 for 4 on Extra Points.<\/p>\n

Former Patriots Corliss Waitman does the punting for the Steelers.\u00a0 He is averaging 51.4 YPP for the 10th<\/sup> ranking.<\/p>\n

Score Prediction<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Uncle Louie of the Uncle Louie Variety Show is a diehard Steelers fan, and he predicts the score to be 19-18 Steelers. \u00a0You can find his prediction on Instagram\u00a0 https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DOtDkABEedt\/<\/a>.\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t seen their show, I highly recommend it, especially if you are of Italian descent.\u00a0 How do you get a score of 19-18?<\/p>\n

This week I am taking the Patriots 24-17.\u00a0 The Steelers have a hard time stopping the run. The Jets ran for 182 yards, and Seattle added 117 more.\u00a0 They have given up an average of 31.5 Points Per Game.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0In the passing game they gave up 218 yards to Justin Fields and 295 yards to Sam Donald.<\/p>\n

The Patriots’ Defense has been an enigma.\u00a0 They lead the league in sacks and pressure,s even though Tagovailoa was getting the passes out very quickly until the end of the game.\u00a0 Surprisingly, the Run Defense has been very good, allowing only 58.5 yards per game.<\/p>\n

Aaron Rodgers can get rid of the ball quickly and when blitzed can use his veteran skills to tear up a secondary.\u00a0 The Steelers’ Offensive Line is young and not very experienced. \u00a0\u00a0Rodgers has one legitimate receiver in DK Metcalf, and I don\u2019t think that will be enough.<\/p>\n

The Patriots are playing at home and will be wearing their Red Pat Patriots uniforms.\u00a0 There is no way they are losing while wearing those unis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Steelers won 10 games last year despite leading at halftime in just five games. It was the same exact result in 2023.\u00a0 A tremendous amount of credit has to be given to Head Coach Mike Tomlin.\u00a0 You may not like him, but you have to give him your respect for the job he has done in Pittsburgh, having his team in contention every year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":57345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMORSE: Week 3 Preview of the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Steelers won 10 games last year despite leading at halftime in just five games. 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