The Pittsburgh Steelers will play their 1st game of the 2025 season on Sunday on the road against the New York Jets. The team has overhauled its roster on both sides of the ball in an attempt to take that step up from playoff participant to playoff game winner, and hopefully that seventh championship. Below is a look at five keys to victory in week one.
Start it and Keep it Running – It’s not a secret that the Steelers have struggled to score early in games in recent years. The last opening drive touchdown was in week 16 of 2023.
Yikes.
The team had a minus-64 scoring differential in the first quarter of games last season. They scored 48 total points in the opening quarter, an average of just 2.7 points per game. They scored over 100 points in every other quarter to help them stay in or get back in games, but this pattern needs to change.
Will the new candidates please step forward? The offense has a bevy of new starters compared to week one last year, and a few of those new starters didn’t play in the preseason. This offense needs to gel and do it fast. They have said they want to run the ball and protect the quarterback. Scoring points early would help that game plan.
Additionally, if they get a lead, please stay on the gas. Not every game needs to be a one-score game.
Living on the Edge – Rushing the passer is always a recipe for success. This game features some interesting matchups for both teams.
When the Jets have the ball, their right offensive tackle will be rookie Armand Membou, the seventh overall pick in the 2025 draft. He’ll get to face off primarily with T.J. Watt. On the left side, the Jets will have Ola Fashanu go toe-to-toe with Alex Highsmith. Fashanu allowed just one sack in seven starts last season.
When the Steelers have the ball, it doesn’t get any easier. The Steelers’ young tackles, Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, will have their hands full. Edge Will McDonald has a breakout season in 2024 with 10.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hits. On the other side, Jermaine Johnson is back from an Achilles injury that took most of his 2024 season. In 2023, he had six sacks and was a replacement selection for the Pro Bowl.
Getting to and containing the quarterback within the pocket will help decide this game.
Is one D better than two B’s and an F? – The overhaul was not limited to the offense. The defense was given a facelift as well. A big part of the roster changeover was due to the team’s poor run defense last year.
Looking back to last season, the Steelers actually did well against the run versus the Jets in week seven. They held Breece Hall to 38 yards rushing on twelve carries. However, he did have 103 yards receiving, including a 57-yard gallop on a short pass. Over the last two seasons, Hall has amassed over 2,900 yards from scrimmage with 17 touchdowns. Braelon Allen, the 235-pound runner, had almost 500 yards from scrimmage last season. The B’s form a formidable tandem.
Added to that group is Justin Fields. And the team is obviously well aware of his running ability.
Up front, the defense got bigger. Literally. Derrick Harmon (313 pounds) and Yahya Black (336) became the two heaviest defensive linemen on the roster. Three other new defenders, Daniel Ekuale, Esezi Otomewo, and Logan Lee, join the roster to help the rotation.
The Jets had an unfortunate injury to offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, which may help Pittsburgh, but the goal remains the same. It takes a team to stop the run, but it all starts up front. Stop the run and force Fields to beat them through the air.
Spread the Wealth – This is a two-fer.
First, in his presser this week, Mike Tomlin reiterated that he has confidence in the pass catchers on the team. There have been questions about who the proverbial number two receiver is all offseason. When any wide receiver becomes available, the ears of the fans perk up. At this point, that is all moot.
DK Metcalf is the alpha of the group, and a lot is expected of him this season. But 2-time All-Pro Sauce Gardner may shadow him and make his job difficult. On a week-to-week basis, the “number 2” may likely be a revolving door based on the game plan.
Calvin Austin improved significantly as a route runner last season and was open way more than expected. His health is a question going into week one, but it looks like he is ready to go. Roman Wilson shined in the preseason and looked to be up to speed. Pat Freiermuth is as reliable as they come as a pass catcher, and Jonnu Smith adds a new wrinkle as the athletic tight end they have been missing. In his stat predictions, Alex Kozora pointed out this week, there will be a Scotty Miller game where he is the x-factor this year. And if we’re lucky, the team finally understands what Darnell Washington can do. Get that man the ball.
Secondly, use the entire field. Several opposing defenders last season remarked that they knew what the Steelers’ offense was going to do, including their tendencies when throwing the ball.
There was a noticeable change in the preseason’s use of the middle of the field. If the recent pattern from preseason to regular season sticks, the offense will throw the ball inside the numbers much more frequently.
In the 2023 preseason, they threw inside the numbers 45 percent of the time. During the regular season, it was 44 percent. In 2024, the preseason was 40 percent and 40 percent in the regular season. This preseason, they worked inside the numbers 55.5 percent of the time. That could point to a lift in the moratorium on throwing over the middle.
Aaron Rodgers can and will use everyone and the entire field to his advantage, hopefully making the offense less predictable.
Controlling Quinnen and Company – Run the ball and protect the quarterback. That is the mantra we heard this week, and frankly, it has been the Steelers’ philosophy for a long time. That all starts up front.
Like Pittsburgh, the Jets were unhappy with their run defense. They signed Jay Tufele, a former fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Also, at the end of training camp, they continued to add defensive linemen by making two trades on the same day in the last week of August. Jowon Briggs came over from Cleveland, and Harrison Phillips came over from Minnesota.
However, the main cog of the defensive line is Quinnen Williams. A former All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection. He is mobile, agile, and hostile, and can win a one-on-one matchup in a blink. Zach Frazier, Isaac Seumalo and Mason McCormick will have their hands full.
Running the ball against the Jets starts with blocking Williams.
