The 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers will go where their defense leads them. After three weeks, the offense is still finding itself, while the defense is the primary reason for Pittsburgh's 2-1 record. The strength has been the pass rush, with TJ Watt leading the NFL with six sacks, but the Steelers secondary could end up pulling their weight against the Houston Texans on Sunday. Texans rookie quarterback, CJ Stroud has yet to throw an interception, but that is something that has a very good chance of changing against Pittsburgh.
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Steelers will be after Houston Texans rookie quarterback CJ Stroud all day during their 2023 Week 3 matchup
Steelers Could Have Field Day Against Texans and Stroud
Retired Texans insider, John McClain, joined the North Shore Drive Podcast, and host, Christopher Carter was asking how Stroud would react to the inevitable pressure that he is going to face on Sunday. McClain is realistic about the rebuilding situation that Houston is currently going through, but he also recognizes the common struggles that most young quarterbacks experience.
The Steelers are hungry to make a statement after putting together consecutive wins and the Texans seem like the perfect team to face for that purpose. The Pittsburgh secondary could eat and extremely well at that if Stroud is harassed like the Steelers are capable of doing. That is something McClain could certainly see happening on Sunday.
"Most quarterbacks - most, not all - have problems with pressure, blitzes, especially if they're not picked up. And Stroud, he's a rookie, so it's gonna happen. At some point, he's gonna throw three or four interceptions in a game, and it might be against the Steelers."
All that said, it is also true that so far, Stroud hasn't looked like a wide-eyed rookie. Not only has he avoided the dreaded turnovers that sink first-year players, but he has done so while passing for over 900 yards in only three games. One statistic that stands out when it comes to Stroud, though, is the 11 sacks he has taken so far, something that could be a concern against a defensive squad like Pittsburgh's.
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Steelers Linebacker TJ Watt leads a 2023 defense that is shouldering the load after 3 weeks
Steelers' Watt Is Licking His Chops Ahead Of Stroud Matchup
The Texans have dealt with injuries across the offensive line throughout 2023. Ever since Houston's 2023 training camp, they can't seem to field a healthy set of offensive linemen for very long. This is something that McClain took specific note of prior to the Texans 2023 Week 3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"Their offensive line has more injuries than any I've ever seen. They're on their third center, third right tackle, third left guard, and second left tackle. The only one that's a regular starter is their right guard, Shaq Mason. They have the worst offensive line I've seen in this team's history. The offensive line has so many injuries it affects everything."
That is certainly a scathing take on the incredibly rough situation the Texans' offensive line room finds itself in. Things got even more difficult when the Texans found out that they would have to dig even deeper on the depth chart. Their 2023 Week 4 left tackle will be Austin Deculus, who was a practice squad player until Houston determined Josh Jones couldn't play due to a hand injury.
With a complete patchwork of an offensive line, the pass rush for the Steelers is looking forward to every single snap that they will be on the field for. There is a glimmer of hope in Houston because, somehow, the assortment of offensive linemen held the Jaguars defense without a sack for the first time in 2023. Now, that was the Jaguars, and on Sunday, the opponent will be a much more aggressive and defensively talented Steelers. I would expect to see the line that had Stroud on pace for 93 sacks after the first two weeks, rather than the aberration from Week 3.
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Steelers Edge Rusher Alex Highsmith is living up to his big contract in 2023
The Pittsburgh pass rushers, Watt and Alex Highsmith especially, will have their moves ready and their celebrations prepared for a bloodbath. Stroud is a talented rookie, there is no question about that, but this Steelers' defense is something else entirely. McClain fully expects Pittsburgh's defense to use the injury challenges in Houston to their advantage.
"As far as TJ [Watt], I'll tell you, he's gotta be licking his chops. He'd never say that, of course. Texans are down to their third left tackle, third left guard, third center, and third right tackle."
The Steelers defense knows that they will be relied on to take on the rag-tag group of linemen that make up the offensive line for Houston. The bigger question is whether the Pittsburgh offense can do enough against a young but proud Texans' defense. It is no secret that the Steelers' biggest weakness is their sluggish offense, but what better way to put those worries aside than to beat up on a struggling, bruised team?
This could be the perfect chance for the Steelers to continue their winning streak, or it could be a set-up for an upset that no Pittsburgh fan wants to even think about.
Can the Steelers avoid stumbling over the Texans?
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