The Pittsburgh Steelers are riding high off their comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday. Heading into Mercedes Benz Stadium and the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday will be no easy feat. While the Steelers are trending upward on both offense and defense and the Falcons are facing some struggles, one of the biggest mismatches of the game will be Pittsburgh's kickoff coverage vs. Cordarrelle Patterson.
Photo Credit: USA Today
Things are Looking Up for the Steelers
The Steelers seem to be coming together on both offense and defense since the bye. However, the special teams unit has been lackluster at best. They are a huge part of why the Steelers lost a substantial lead on Monday night against the Colts.
The Steelers had held the Colts to only 96 yards of total offense in the first half and it felt like there was some breathing room. Indy was able to hang around because of the yardage and field position they obtained on kick returns. Dallis Flowers and Isaiah Rodgers, return men for the Colts, averaged 45 yards per kick. This included Flowers having an 89-yard return to open the second half. Thankfully Connor Heyward was able to run Flowers down and prevent the score. This gave Indy the momentum they needed to get back in the game.
At the press conference on Tuesday, Special Teams Coordinator, Danny Smith, was in Head Coach Mike Tomlin's crosshairs.
“I thought our kickoff units gotta be better. I thought that was a catalyst for whatever got started for them in the second half. The field position component of it was a big negative. We gotta get better there. The field position component was a negative there in that aspect of the game," Tomlin said.
Threats to the Special Teams Unit
That brings us to this week and the Falcons game. If the Steelers struggled against Flowers and company, Patterson must be licking his chops. He is also the team's second-leading rusher behind Tyler Allgeier. Patterson who was out last week with an injury returned to practice Thursday. Which is not good news for Pittsburgh.
Tomlin acknowledged Patterson during his press conference. He talked about the 31-year-old vet who scored his ninth kickoff return touchdown against the Bears in Week 11, setting an NFL record. Tomlin addressed the need to minimize his impact, which won't be easy with inconsistent kickers like Matthew Wright and punter Percy Harvin. Since taking over Wright has allowed 509 return yards in five games, the sixth most in the league.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 03: Kicker Matthew Wright #16 of the Pittsburgh Steelers kicks off during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 03, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Steelers 24-22. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Mismatch of Patterson
The best course of action is to have Wright get as many touchbacks as possible. The idea of relying on the kick coverage unit is frightening since they looked abysmal last week. While there have been injuries including Robert Spillane, Miles Boykin and Jaylen Warren that impact the unit, the "next man up" philosophy should still be at work.
Heyward told the media that there is enough blame to go around, it does not all fall on Wright. He noted they could all do a better job in one-on-one situations. He also said the unit was reviewing film from Indy to fix those weak areas so Atlanta can't take advantage of them.
In addition to stopping Patterson on special teams, they also need to contain him on offense. There is a bright side there, the Steelers run defense has steadily improved since the bye, currently ranked seventh in the NFL, allowing only 104 yards per game.
It is a good thing they have gotten it together. The only team that attempts to run the ball more than the Falcons, with 390 attempts, is the Bears. Additionally, in average rushing yards per game, the Falcons rank fourth with 160.0.
Earlier this week, Tight End Pat Freiermuth predicted that this would start the Steelers' first win streak of the season. Being able to limit Patterson on special teams, and on offense, will likely be a key to winning this game and starting a winning streak.
Pat Freiermuth celebrating a TD vs the Bears / Photo Credit: NFL.com
How do you think the Steelers' kickoff return will match up against Patterson? Do you think our improved run defense can limit the running assault of the Falcons? Do you think we will have our first win streak? Comment below!
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