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Ready or not, here it is:
• For the first time since 2010, the Steelers will be the team employing the most vibrant tight end in a match against the New England Patriots. All the respect I owe to Heath Miller, who has been one of the most complete NFL tips throughout his career and the best tight end in Steelers history, but Rob Gronkowski was a big beast of game, a player impacting every time he was on the board. field.
• Gronkowski is now a retiree, which means that it's Vance McDonald who has all the qualities to take on the role of big game in the tight position of Sunday night at Gillette Stadium.
• Last December's Patriots game at Heinz Field, McDonald scored just two catches for 13 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown in the opening quarter that opened the scoring. Sunday night, the Steelers will need more McDonald's than defeats last December, and if they get more, it will put the defense of New England in a difficult position.
• If the Patriots are having trouble with McDonald's, if Patrick Chung's security struggles to secure McDonald's cover, New England may have to deal with a sub-pack that offers more defensive backs on the field . If this happens, the Steelers the game could be the beneficiary. Remember, in last December's match, James Conner was injured, Jaylen Samuels had 142 yards, and the Steelers finished with 158 and an average of 6.3 per port.
• This level of run production for the Steelers would be a step forward for visitors to win for the first time in New England while Tom Brady was the starting quarterback, where Brady is 135-21. a starter in the regular season and playoffs.
• Speaking of pounding the ball with the run, do not be surprised if the Patriots choose to attack the Steelers defense in this way, at least in the beginning. It may seem counter-intuitive that a Brady-based team, an offense that had already escaped 27 of the 30 offensive attacks against the Steelers in 2002, has returned to the ground and pound, but this is recent history of the team.
• In the last 10 games of the 2018 season, including four in the playoffs, the Patriots ran the ball 333 times and attempted 340 assists, a striking offensive balance for a team with Brady at the quarterback. And unprecedented in the sense that much of their current attack came with a back in the backfield.
• Asked about the constant evolution of the Patriots' offense, coach Mike Tomlin said, "They change according to the weapons at his disposal and showcase the talents of those with whom he works. . Their changes focus on the strengths of people who work with Tom Brady, but the consistency, the component that has not changed, is # 12. "
• Regarding the Patriots, what offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said about what he is looking for in his group is very similar to what Tomlin said he was looking for in his first Sunday night game.
• "We want to take care of the ball, play without penalty and make as few mistakes as possible," said McDaniels at the Boston Herald. "It's a generic answer, but it's the reality of the situation right now … there are still a lot of unknowns, there are still a lot of bridges to go through and a lot of representatives to take to get better and improve. But to say exactly what we are going to be, what [personnel] We are going to rely on groups on which we are going to play as many clichés, the roles that everyone has solved, I think it would probably be unfair of me to say so. "
• Based on all this, the idea of Vince Williams as a beginner linebacker and the monitoring of Bush's playing time in this first game is starting to make sense. If the Patriots want to start by using a routine physical attack, Williams would seem to be the best option for the linebacker and the Steelers would still have Mark Barron at his side to assume the responsibilities of the cover.
• Another element of the game where Williams is a better option than the rookie during a first part of the season is to get the defensive touch of the sideline, to communicate it to the rest of the players in the field, then to call the other players. adjustments that may become necessary depending on the New England staff group and the alignment of this staff.
• When the Steelers defeated the Patriots last December, Williams played 59 of 62 defensive attempts (95%). After the win, Tomlin congratulated him for his efforts as a defensive quarter on the pitch. Tomlin admitted that playing so much against Williams may not be ideal for the Patriots offense, but having everyone on the same page and to understand what had to be done at every moment was worth it.
• Remember some of the latest Steelers games at Gillette Stadium and the impact of mistakes and misunderstandings on the part of the defense: having two men on the field, letting Gronkowski get discovered, because the guys do not did not receive calls from the sideline, etc., etc., etc. Make this kind of mistakes against Brady and he will charge you for it. Each. Unique. Time.
• If the NFL had an opportunity to make improvised music, similar to Major League Baseball, the choice of general manager Kevin Colbert would be appropriate: how do you like now ?! From Toby Keith
• So, football experts, how do you like numbers 3 and 5 in exchange for Antonio Brown now? And remember, the No. 3 Oakland was the second choice in the third round (66th overall), which justified the Steelers to give up their No. 2, which was the 52nd overall pick, as part of to write Devin Bush.
• Colbert has been heavily criticized for two recent professions: Santonio Holmes for a fifth-round pick among the Jets in 2010, and No. 3 and No. 5 for Brown. The Steelers used this fifth-round pick among the Jets to acquire veteran cornerback Bryant McFadden and No. 6 pick used on Brown. And then, the choices made for Brown helped the Steelers to acquire Bush and Zach Gentry's project.
• The Holmes deal allowed the Steelers to win the best football receiver until they clinched and then traded to facilitate the trade against the kind of linebacker the Steelers have suffered since the injury. Ryan Shazier, as well as an interesting development.
• Are there still people who believe that the Steelers have found a job in Antonio Brown's business? Bueller? Bueller?
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