The Steelers will open their season Sunday when they face the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. Here are some things to know about the AFC East foe that’s become a familiar opponent in recent years.
Josh Allen is the franchise now
The former seventh overall pick was richly rewarded for his breakout 2020 season in August when he signed a six-year, $258 million extension with $150 million in guarantees. The deal puts him in league with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes among the league’s highest-paid players, so there’s a lot at stake for team and player this season.
If he can replicate his Pro Bowl-caliber numbers of a year ago — 69.2% completion percentage, 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions — then he will be worth every penny. If he’s more of the 2018 or ’19 Josh Allen, then the criticism will likely be swift and severe.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they’ve made him look average the past two years, holding him to a total of just 377 yards and three touchdowns with two picks. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been enough to get a victory against his Bills quite yet.
Emmanuel Sanders is here
The former burner of a wideout for the Steelers is an elder statesman now at 34. The 2021 season will be his 13th, and the Bills will be his fifth team.
His best years are likely behind him — he hasn’t had a 1,000-yard campaign since 2016. Still, he brings needed experience to this team’s receiving room after it let go of fellow veteran John Brown in the offseason.
Sanders was reasonably productive with Drew Brees in New Orleans a year ago, putting up 61 receptions for 726 yards and five touchdowns. So it will be interesting to see how he complements the highly productive Stefon Diggs in this offense.
So is Mitch Trubisky
The former second overall pick will get a chance to rehabilitate his career behind Allen after a rocky stint in Chicago. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal back in March and will face a lot of questions if he ever has to step in behind center.
Can he put his turnover-prone past behind him? Will Buffalo’s receiving corps make it easier for him to post better downfield numbers? Is he capable of keeping this team afloat if Allen has to miss significant time? We may not get any answers to those questions this season.
Allen has proven durable by missing just four pro starts to this point. Regardless, Trubisky’s presence has the potential to be a compelling subplot to follow.
Don’t forget Matt Breida
Like the Steelers, the Bills haven’t been too keen on running the ball in recent years. Devin Singletary led the team last year with just 687 yards, even as they came at a healthy clip of 4.4 per carry.
This year, however, they appear to be a bit more serious about taking some of the pressure off on the passing game after acquiring Breida, who’s been great in San Francisco and Miami the past four years. The speedster has averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his career and can offer a great change-of-pace skillset to complement the more bruising Singletary.
The Steelers will have to be aware of his home run ability if he steps on the field for meaningful carries.
Josh Norman is gone for good
The former Pro Bowl and All-Pro safety was a useful member of this secondary last year with an interception return for a touchdown and two fumble recoveries. And he brought some star power to a defense that’s lacked it, even while putting up solid numbers.
He won’t be back in 2021, though, after he signed a one-year deal with San Francisco on Monday.
The good news for Buffalo is that most everyone else in this tough secondary returns. Leading tackler Jordan Poyer remains at his safety spot. Tre'Davious White remains one of the top corners in the NFL. And Taron Johnson, Micah Hyde and Levi Wallace were all among the team’s seven leading tacklers in 2020.
Adam Bittner: abittner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @fugimaster24.
First Published: September 8, 2021, 10:11 a.m.
