Kicking off the 2015 season with Super Bowl XLIX champion the New England Patriots, is a sure way to get eyeballs glued to the television screen. This Thursday night, the Patriots will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in what is one of the marquee games of the September portion of the NFL schedule.
In this decade, the Patriots are 4-1 in season openers while the Steelers are just 2-3 which includes an 0-2 record on the road. But when 5:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) rolls around, none of those records will matter. The Patriots are a reflection of their head coach Bill Belichick, in that what is the past is the past. Deflategate, a shiny season opening record this decade, and Super Bowl XLIX will be irrelevant 77 hours and five minutes from now.
Once upon a time Tom Brady was to serve a four game suspension because of the Deflategate issue. But United States District Judge Richard M. Berman decided to absolve Brady of his supposed wrongdoings in Defategate earlier this month. It would behoove of Patriot fans to send thank you letters and cards to Berman because who are the Patriots offensively without Brady?
At quarterback everyone knows how deadly accurate and competitive Brady can be. But besides Gronkowski in the receiving game, who knows when receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola will be either healthy (this issue really concerns Amendola) or consistent enough to mask the lack of big-time threats and experience in the receiving corps behind them on the depth chart? Those are questions that will take the entire season to answer.
As for the Patriots offensive line, one of the key matchups of the game will be how tackles Nate Solder (left) and Sebastian Vollmer (right) handle hungry Steeler defensive ends Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward, and keep those guys off Brady.
Tuitt, the Steelers’ second round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, needs a good 2015 to prove that his rookie season was a mirage. As for Heyward, he is a natural three-technique defensive end who is on his way to proving that he can be a pass rushing stud (7.5 sacks in 2014) and a run defender.
The Patriots on Thursday, will be without the services of LaGarrette Blount who will be serving a one-game suspension for violation the league’s substance abuse policy. So that leaves the Patriots with four running backs in Dion Lewis, Travaris Cadet, James White, and Brandon Bolden. But guess what? Those four guys combined for just 159 yards rushing in 2014 which includes a 32 yard season by Cadet with the New Orleans Saints.
The Steelers on the other hand have Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback who is an institution within himself. But on Thursday, the Steelers will be bereft of star running back Le’Veon Bell who is serving 2 game suspension for violating the league’s conduct and substance abuse policy. So that means the Steelers will have to rely on the right arm and improvisational skills of Roethlisberger and their receiving corps, which includes the electric Antonio Brown.
With Bell’s, suspension it will be interesting Thursday night to see the Steelers’ new number two running back DeAngelo Williams, who signed a two-year $4 million contract this past offseason. He and the Steelers’ other running backs will have to show up in order to take pressure off of Roethlisberger.
In conclusion, this game will come down to who can be more balanced on offense and take what each defense gives them. The Steelers must take advantage of the fact that the Patriots don’t have much of a running game to supplement the Patriots passing game. Meanwhile, the Patriots get the benefit of not having to put up with Bell, who is a master at wearing down defenses and the fact that he is a complete back (rushing and receiving threat). This game will definitely be one of the more physically demanding games of the year for both teams.
