Three keys to the Broncos beating the Steelers on Sunday in Pittsburgh

The Denver Broncos need to bounce back in Week 5. They suffered their first loss of the season to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, and they have another tough AFC North opponent in Week 5 as they travel to play the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers are not a good team, and they have lost three games in a row to give them a 1-3 record. After beating the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, the Steelers offense has barely been able to score, and the defense has battled through several injuries.

As per usual on Mondays and Tuesdays during the regular season, I have broken down the coach’s film of the Broncos upcoming opponent. Here are three observations from the Steelers film that could be the keys for a Broncos victory on Sunday.

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Ben is Done

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is going to the Hall of Fame one day. He has had a terrific NFL career, but things are not like they used to be. He should have retired last year after his season when his game fell apart. Now, we are watching a shell of his former self go out there on a weekly basis and struggle.

Roethlisberger is one of the toughest quarterbacks in NFL history. He is a big man and for years has been able to absorb hard hits but keep playing. Those hits have now added up. He’s always been somewhat mobile, but now Roethlisberger is about as mobile as a statue, making him a stationary target for opponents.

Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t played well this season. But I’ve been wincing watching him take some of the hits he’s absorbed through the first four games. Painful to watch.

Some of the most notable big hits he’s taken. Don’t know if his body will last the year. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/6K1muMF6on

— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) October 5, 2021

Roethlisberger (hip, pectoral) has some “hip issues,” according to head coach Mike Tomlin. Against the Packers in Week 4, Roethlisberger was sacked two times and hit five times. This week against the Broncos, Roethlisberger will be under fire again. If Denver can find a way to generate middle pressure, then they can have great success against a quarterback who just isn’t the player he used to be.

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Najee Emerging

I really felt the Steelers could overcome an aging and should-have-retired Roethlisberger by running the ball early and often with 2021 first-round pick Najee Harris. He was a star player from the University of Alabama, and many graded him as the best back in the 2021 NFL Draft. I had him no.2 behind the Broncos Javonte Williams, but I knew Harris would be the type of player who could bring the glory days of the offense back on the ground.

The Steelers have historically been a team with a strong rushing attack. They use power to control an opponent, and the Steelers love to be the bully on offense. The Ravens rushing attack was held in check by the Broncos in Week 4, and Denver needs to have a similar emphasis this week against the Steelers.

NAJEE HARRIS DISRESPECTFUL 🤧
pic.twitter.com/UT2axdCsCW

— PFF (@PFF) September 19, 2021

Harris carried the ball 15 times for 62 yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. He also added six receptions for 29 yards. The rushing touchdown was the first of his career (he scored a receiving touchdown in Week 2), and there are signs the team could be turning things over to the talented rookie back.

The Broncos had better be ready of a healthy dose of Harris. He’s a player who can grind out tough yards or gash you with a big play. While the offense is struggling to score points in recent weeks, the Steelers may be able to grind out a tough win if they feed Harris more.

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Pass Rushers Banged Up

The Steelers have a great defense, and it seems like they always have. The hallmark of a Steelers defense is the pass rush, and they can get after the passer early and often. The Steelers defense features the highest-paid defender in the league in T.J. Watt. He injured his groin in Week 2, missed the game in Week 3, but Watt returned to the field in Week 4.

While he was out there, Watt was able to snare 2.0 sacks and finished with four tackles on the day. He did let Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers run by him for a score, but for the most part it looks like Watt is dealing with his groin injury and is on the right track.

Who'd 37-year-old beat to the end zone?

Just the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, T.J. Watt. pic.twitter.com/LLd5SdDndT

— Matt Reynoldson (@Matt_Reynoldson) October 3, 2021

In addition to Watt, one of the most intriguing pass-rushers for the Steelers is Alex Highsmith. He’s a young player with one of the craziest pass-rushing moves you’ll ever see (a jumping spin chop). Highsmith doesn’t have a sack yet this year, but he’s been battling with a groin injury like Watt.

With another week, Watt and Highsmith are likely to play better than they did against the Packers. The way the Broncos offensive line performed against the Ravens, having these two pass-rushers getting healthy is a bad omen. The Broncos need to make sure they keep track of Watt mainly, but they also need to have answers for outside pass-rushers like Highsmith.

We don’t know who is going to be starting at quarterback for the Broncos in Week 5, but no matter who lines up under center there needs to be better protection for them. The Steelers, like the Ravens, are one of the most blitz-heavy teams in the league. Denver had better be prepared for a tough day against a strong defense who is getting stronger.

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