NEW ORLEANS -- The Steelers might have saved their season with their 17-10 victory over the archnemesis Patriots last week, but their work isn't done by a long shot. Because all it did was preserve the status quo in the AFC North.
We'll see where that takes us this weekend, as the Steelers (8-5-1) cling to their half-game lead over the Ravens (8-6), who travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers (11-3) Saturday night. The Steelers, of course, get to face the Saints (12-2).
Talk about a couple of tall tasks.
Just don't expect the Steelers to focus too much on what's going on with the Ravens. They've got more than enough on their own plate.
David DeCastro said last week the Steelers would find out if they were a good team based on what happened in the game against the Patriots. Now? They might get an idea if they're a team capable of making a run at the Super Bowl. The Saints currently sit atop the NFC standings as the No. 1 seed and need just one win in their final two games to lock up home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
"I think we learned some good stuff," DeCastro said of last week's win. "We like the challenge. This wasn’t a hard game to get up for. But it’s still just one game. It was a big one and it was important, but they keep getting more and more important."
Look no further than this game.
"It’s the same kind of thing and it’s on the road," DeCastro said. "They keep getting harder and harder."
That they do. A week after beating the duo who have the most wins together in NFL history (Bill Belichick-Tom Brady, 205), the Steelers faced the duo with the second-most in the Saints' Sean Payton and Drew Brees, who have won 117 games. Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger are fourth on that list with 114, two behind Don Shula and Dan Marino for third.
Six of those wins have come at home this season, including their past six in a row. The Saints and Brees are traditionally much tougher to beat at home than they are on the road. Brees owns an 83-48 record in home games, 71-62 on the road.
"It rolls through Drew Brees and his unique resume and experience and continuity that he has within," Tomlin said. "Their offensive structure with Coach Payton is something to deal with. It allows them to move in and out of personnel groups with tremendous pace. It allows them to attack you in a variety of ways. I’m sure he has a lot of autonomy at the line of scrimmage. I’m sure that in his home venue that that’ll be significant."
The Steelers kept Brady off balance last week by controlling the ball most of the first half and then constantly changing defenses. And rookie running back Jaylen Samuels rushed for 142 yards. But against Brees in New Orleans, that might not be possible.
Controlling the ball? That could be difficult, as well. The Saints have the league's top-rated run defense and also have recorded 44 sacks.
"We are excited about this opportunity," Tomlin said. "We understand that we’re playing a really good football team. We are playing a really good football team in their venue. We don’t run away from that. We understand what time of year it is and if you have the intentions that we have, you need forks in the road such as this. They are a really good bunch."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers (8-5-1) vs. Saints (12-2)
• When: 4:25 p.m.
• Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Satellite: SiriusXM 227 (Internet 826)
• Forecast: Dome
• Lots open: 11:25 a.m.
• Will call open: 2:25 p.m.
• Gates open: 2:25 p.m.
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Media notes: Steelers | Saints
• Odds: MyBookie.AG
THE INJURY REPORT
Steelers: RB James Conner (ankle, out), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (groin, questionable)
Saints: OT Jermon Bushrod (hamstring, out)
THE KEY VARIABLE
Will JuJu play or not?
That's the question Steelers fans are asking themselves after Smith-Schuster, the Steelers' leading receiver this season in both receptions and yardage, suffered a groin injury at practice Thursday that left him questionable to play in this game.
“He’s a tough guy,” fellow receiver James Washington said. “I don’t doubt that he'll be there.”
Smith-Schuster has been a tough guy throughout his career. He suffered a fractured hand at USC in 2015, had a screw inserted and played in the Trojans' next game. He sprained a toe in August of 2016, a painful and troubling injury for a receiver. But he was ready for USC's opener. That same August, he dislocated his pinky, another injury he played through. And with the Steelers, he missed one game each with a concussion and hamstring injury last year, quickly returning to the lineup.
But with Smith-Schuster missing from practice for most of Thursday and all of Friday's practices, it allowed others, such as Washington, to step into a bigger role opposite Antonio Brown.
“You just never know, so you’ve just got to know every position and know the roles of everyone just in case you have to step up and do other things,” Washington said.
Smith-Schuster has benefitted greatly this season from opponents focusing closely on Brown to catch 95 passes for 1,274 yards and six touchdowns. Brown has 90 receptions for 1,112 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
If Smith-Schuster is unable to play, that would allow the Saints to match top corner Marshon Lattimore, the 2017 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, on Brown with help, making it difficult for Brown to operate. It also would open up opportunities for Washington, Ryan Switzer and Eli Rogers, who was activated off the PUP List just last week.
Obviously, however, the ideal plan for the Steelers would be to have both Brown and Smith-Schuster on the field together.
“They’re explosive players, they run well, they have great ball skills," Payton said of that duo. "It’s challenging with two, relative to how you cover them. I think they transition very well. They can get to top end speed, but they can also stop. That allows them separation and you partner that with a quarterback like Ben and that makes for a challenging day.”
According to Smith-Schuster's Twitter, he'll be playing Sunday.
A lot on the line this week. The whole season comes down to this. Yes, I’m talking about the fantasy football championship round. Of course I’m playing Sunday!!! Theres no way I can let down the real ones who believed in me by drafting me!! Let’s get it!! ?? pic.twitter.com/6YntwS4lpD
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) December 22, 2018
HISTORY LESSON
While the Saints and Steelers only meet once every four years now as members of different conferences, the Steelers in the AFC and the Saints in the NFC, did you know they once played in the same division?
In 1968, the expansion Saints were moved from the Capitol Division, where they had played in their first season, to the Century Division, which included the Steelers, Browns and Cardinals. The Steelers had played the expansion Saints in 1967, coming away with a 14-10 victory. They would not be so fortunate in 1968, as the Saints swept the Steelers to help them finish 4-9-1, two games ahead of the last-place Steelers, who went 2-11-1.
The Saints won the first meeting at Pitt Stadium, edging the Steelers, 16-12, on an Ernie Wheelright touchdown run and three Charlie Durkee field goals. The Steelers' points came on a 2-yard touchdown run by Earl Gros and a 71-yarder by Dick Hoak, who had 16 carries for 166 yards in the game. Hoak also completed two-of-three pass attempts in the game for 48 yards, giving him two more passing yards than quarterback Dick Shiner, who was four of 15 for 46 yards and an interception.
In the rematch in New Orleans at Tulane Stadium, Billy Kilmer threw a pair of touchdown passes as the Saints built a 21-7 halftime lead, with the Steelers' touchdown coming on a 55-yard pass from Shiner to Roy Jefferson. Jefferson, who did not play in the first meeting, had six receptions for 139 yards and a score.
The Steelers trailed 24-7 entering in fourth quarter when Kent Nix, who had replaced an ineffective Shiner, tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to J.R. Wilburn. Shiner finished the game five of 16 for 111 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Nix wasn't much better, going eight of 19 for 114 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
That would be the final game for head coach Bill Austin, who led the Steelers to an 11-28-3 record in three seasons. He would be replaced in the offseason by Chuck Noll.
And in 1969, the Saints were moved back to the Capitol Division, replaced by the Giants in the Century Division. It would all become even more jumbled in 1970, when the NFL merged with the AFL and the Steelers moved to the AFC.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
The Steelers' plan last week against the Patriots included getting a four-man pass rush on Brady and forcing him to escape by any means except stepping up in the pocket. That's where the Patriots' quarterback wants to go.
The Steelers, instead, made sure their push came from the middle from nose tackle Javon Hargrave and defensive ends Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward. Those three have combined for 16.5 sacks and 40 quarterback hits.
"We wanted to make him move laterally," Tuitt said. "He wants to step up and throw the ball. We didn't want to let him do that."
The same thing could be said of Brees.
He's listed at 6-foot, 209 pounds, but is much closer to 5-foot-11. Often times, Brees will rise up on his toes to see over the oncoming lineman and create throwing lanes.
"He finds the holes," Keith Butler said. "There are big guys running in front of him. He does a good job technically, his foot work is excellent, he does a good job of getting deep in the pocket and moving up in the pocket as time goes along with him trying to get the ball downfield. He does a good job of that."
So much so that earlier this season, he broke Peyton Manning's league record for passing yards. He's now at 74,111 and counting.
Brees leads the league in passer rating this season at 116.8 and completion percentage at 74.9. His completion percentage would break his own single-season record set last season by more than two percentage points.
"He can do it not looking like the typical quarterback in terms of height," Roethlisberger said of what he respects about Brees' game. "He’s incredibly athletic, though, and a tireless worker. A guy that can anticipate throws and can make them all of the field really. Not really known for a huge arm but can pretty much make any throw. I have a lot of respect for that guy."
He also has some good weapons in running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram and receiver Michael Thomas.
The Steelers have to figure out a way to pressure Brees, who has been sacked just 15 times this season, or at least get pressure on him quickly.
"On the back end, we’ve got to cover up to give those guys time to get there," said Morgan Burnett, who faced Brees several times as a member of the Packers. "At the same time, they have to get there and make things tough. We can make plays on the back end. That’s part of playing team defense."
THE QUOTES
• "It’s amazing. Guys just keep stepping up. It’s a credit to the team, the scouting department, the coaches and the guys themselves, guys like Jaylen (Samuels). The first two weeks were a little shaky, but he’s learning and then you have a nice breakout game like that and he looked real comfortable, which is pretty impressive as a rookie." -- DeCastro
• "Ben knows who he is. When you have a guy who is sure of himself, he doesn't have to talk bad about anybody else. It's no motivating factor because we have a ballgame to play. He really had no reason (to say it). If that's how he feels, but this is a very humbling league." -- Steelers guard Ramon Foster on Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan's statement about Roethlisberger
• "Very aggressive. They play fast. Big, strong, physical. Especially the front. That’s how three-four defenses are built. Especially this one. You feel like you turn on the Steelers defensive tape over the last 20 years and it’s the same defense. Maybe different players and different numbers, but they play the same. Tough, physical. Typically a lot of pressure, a lot of variations. A lot of stuff we have to be prepared for.” -- Brees on the Steelers defense
THE TEN DATA POINTS
• The Steelers have won their past six games played indoors. Their last loss indoors came in overtime in Dallas at the end of the 2012 season.
• Roethlisberger averages 340.7 passing yards per game on the road, trailing only Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes (340.9). Roethlisberger also has accounted for 14 touchdowns (12 passing, two rushing) on the road this season.
• Brown needs 10 receptions to record his NFL-record sixth consecutive 100-catch season. He also needs one touchdown catch to set a new team record with 14. He currently has 13, matching his own team record set in 2014.
• Heyward needs one sack to match Aaron Smith (44) for the second-most sacks by a defensive lineman in team history since they became an official statistic in 1982. Keith Willis has 59 from 1982-1991.
• The Steelers are 38-16 in games against NFC teams with Roethlisberger at quarterback. He has completed 65 percent of his passes for 14,203 yards with 92 touchdowns and 29 interceptions for a 99.0 passer rating.
• There have been 22 500-yard passing games in NFL history. Roethlisberger has an NFL-record three of them, Brees has two. This is the first time in league history quarterbacks who have produced multiple 500-yard passing games have met in back-to-back weeks.
• The Steelers are allowing 215.1 yards passing per game on the road, the fourth-fewest total in the league this season.
• The Saints have allowed 15 touchdown passes in their six home games this season, but have given up just six touchdown passes in their past six games.
• The Saints have allowed 17 or fewer points in each of their past six games, going 5-1 over that span.
• In the past four games, three of which were played on the road, the Saints are averaging 283 yards per game. During that period, they have averaged 17.75 points per game. The Saints have scored a touchdown on 49.2 percent of their possessions at home this season, the highest rate in the league.
THE FANTASY FREE PLAY
Here are projections for the top 10 fantasy players in this game.
- Roethlisberger, 334 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception, two carries, 11 yards
- Brees, 282 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception, one carry, two yards
- Kamara, 13 carries, 61 yards, six receptions 51 yards, one touchdown
- Samuels, 14 carries, 49 yards, five receptions, 53 yards
- Thomas, seven receptions, 97 yards, one touchdown
- Brown, six receptions, 82 yards, one touchdown
- Smith-Schuster, six receptions, 74 yards
- Ingram, 12 carries, 50 yards, two receptions, 17 yards
- Washington, four receptions, 60 yards
- Watson, three receptions, 42 yards
THE STAFF PICKS
Our football coverage team offers predictions:
Dale Lolley: This is a tough spot for the Steelers, to be sure. But if there's anything that evens things out, it's the Saints' offensive line issues. New Orleans had four starters miss practice throughout the week, though all will play. That could be troublesome for the Saints, especially given the Steelers' ability to rush the passer. The Steelers are second in the league in sack rate (9.8 percent) on the road, so their pass rush travels. The Saints also want to run the ball -- their 425 rushing attempts are third in the league -- meaning a banged up offensive line could be huge. But the Superdome is as tough a place to play as there is in the NFL. And the Steelers don't figure to be able to run the ball as effectively as they did last week against the Patriots. It all adds up to another close loss. Saints, 28-24
Christopher Carter: The reports that Unger and Armstead are back mean the Saints' offensive line will be at full strength. That takes away an advantage from the Steelers in what promises to be a war in the trenches. While that's going on, Brees will be finding ways to extend plays while Sean Payton keeps his offense flowing with various looks to keep the Steelers off balance. The Steelers' main hope has to be in Roethlisberger flipping the switch in a road game and putting up points without the costly turnovers. Considering he's had a rough stretch of games since his dominant showing against the Panthers, I don't see him doing enough to beat out Brees' offense. Saints, 30-26
Matt Sunday: This is one I've had circled as a loss since the start of the season. With the Steelers' key injuries and the Saints needing to get in a playoff-ready form, it's hard not to double down on that feeling. If JuJu can't go, Roethlisberger will need to band together a string of secondary performers in the way only Brees seems to be able to. Speaking of Brees, if the Steelers can get to him like they started to Brady, they'll have success defensively. If they only threaten the quarterback, however, Kamara is going to have a field day in the space between the defensive front and the secondary covering all those undrafted guys scoring touchdowns. Saints, 37-24
Dejan Kovacevic: Not being able to run against the Saints ... I'm having a hard time sliding by that one. Of all the oft-discussed variables that swung the Steelers' way against New England, nothing stood out for me quite like their comfort level once they started slashing Jaylen Samuels through the Patriots' defense. Roethlisberger could breathe a little. The receivers knew the coverage couldn't over-compensate. The offensive line rediscovered some swagger after stinking in Oakland. So yeah, as much as it's fair to be concerned about New Orleans' offense -- even though Brees and company have averaged 16.7 points over their past three games -- I'd look more to the other side of the ball for clues how this will go. The best Steelers are multifaceted Steelers. Saints, 27-21
