Steelers at Vikings Depth Chart Preview 2021
Dec 8, 2021 22:48:25 GMT -6
Funkytown and Oracle Bone Diviner like this
Post by Danchat on Dec 8, 2021 22:48:25 GMT -6
I can't pretend like I'm excited for this game after an inexcusable loss to the Lions. I said they'd fall into oblivion if they lost that one, and now it's just a waiting game until the firing starts. Will Zimmer get another week if they drop this one?
Injury Report
Steelers
CB Haden - Out
LB Spillane - Out
C/G Finney - Out
NT Buggs - Out
Vikings
S Bynum - Questionable
RB Cook - Questionable
LT Darrisaw - Out
LB Lynch - Questionable
WR Thielen - Out
Line: Vikings -3 (51% money on Steelers)
My Thoughts:
QB - Roethlisberger is not unplayable, but he's mostly cooked. He has been able to get the ball downfield, but his delivery is not what it once was, and he relies on short throws more often than not. Paired with a bad OL, it makes for a bad combination that is going to prevent this team from beating any decent defense.
HB - Najee Harris is a talented player and has had a few good games, but the Steelers had a lot more pressing needs they could have filled. The OL has not allowed for any room for Harris to run, as he's hit 3.2 YPC the past 3 weeks. Big Ben loves to check the ball down to him, as he's had 57 catches, but for a measly 6.8 yards a pop. They use Harris as a traditional bellcow, barely giving any time to their backups. They've inexplicably spent 4th rounders on Snell and McFarland, who have amounted to nothing.
WR/TE - This unit lost its edge when Smith-Schuster went down. Johnson is a capable downfield threat when he's not dropping the ball, and is a guarantee for 10+ targets a game. Claypool hasn't been quite the same as last year due to injuries, but he's still a big-bodied receiver who's faster than expected. Washington has been a capable backup before, but he's having a horrid year, ranked as PFF's worst receiver. 2nd rounder TE Freiermuth is having a quality year for a rookie TE, and they love throwing to him in the redzone. Ebron was their 2TE but he's on the IR. Gentry is having a career year as a blocking TE.
OL - Uff da! The Steelers abandoned this unit over the offseason and have reaped what they sowed. They plugged in 4th round rookie Dan Moore into LT, and he's given up 5 sacks and 34 pressures - oh, and he can't run block, either! Finney got hurt last week, allowing for 2020 UDFA Leglue to fill in at LG. Sunday was his first career game and this will be his first career start. Meanwhile, 3rd rounder Green, a popular Vikings target, is also having a bad year. He's been passable in pass protection, but has been awful as a run blocker. Turner is having a nice turnaround year after it seemed like he might retire. Okorafor has been a very bad RT for multiple years now.
It is worth noting that a couple OL are on the COVID list and could return, but they're basically out of O-linemen. Yikes!
DL - Outside of Heyward, this depth chart has a lot of no-name players. JJ Watt gets tons of press, but Heyward is nearly as good and is way better (and more durable) at this point in time. He is capable of stone-walling a whole side of the OL. One big success story is Chris Wormley, a guy they acquired in a late round pick trade with their dreaded rival, the Ravens. He's turned into a
better run stuffer than pass rusher. The rest have not produced very well, as Buggs/Mondeaux have been ineffective at NT. They have little depth at DE, too.
LB - PFF has been harsh on LBs lately, and they have Bush with an awful 37 PFF rating (that's Abysmal). While he tackles well and rushes the QB very effectively, he's atrocious in coverage and is just generally in the wrong spot on the field. Schobert has been mediocre for a few years now.
ED - TJ Watt has been a menace, posting at least 13 sacks a year in 4 straight seasons, and he's already at a career high 16! Good luck, Oli. They've also turned Alex Highsmith, a late 3rd rounder from the 2020 class, into a very good pressure-generator. Once again, their depth is lacking.
DB - With their one quality CB in Haden out, Pittsburgh has opted to use Pierre and Sutton as their top CBs, and it hasn't worked that well. Witherspoon has been starting to work his way into the lineup, but he's had a shaky career. They don't have anyone who can handle Jefferson (does anybody, though?), so they'll have to double team him. FS Fitzpatrick is getting slammed by PFF, grading as the 4th worst safety in football. Personally, I don't see it, as he is not bad in coverage, but he has missed 13 tackles. Edmunds is underwhelming, and has not turned into the elite hard-nosed strong safety that he was billed as.
Prediction: Vikings 24, Steelers 17
While it is difficult to pick the Vikings to win a game after such an atrocious game against the Lions, their gravitational pull to .500 will net them a win against a Steelers team that is banged up/sick. This Pittsburgh roster is top heavy and has holes everywhere, but I'll credit Tomlin with somehow getting this team above .500 with not a whole lot. I am concerned that with the Vikings' recent record in primetime games, but with the defense getting healthier, I think we see the Steelers offense sputter and self-destruct.
Your thoughts?
Injury Report
Steelers
CB Haden - Out
LB Spillane - Out
C/G Finney - Out
NT Buggs - Out
Vikings
S Bynum - Questionable
RB Cook - Questionable
LT Darrisaw - Out
LB Lynch - Questionable
WR Thielen - Out
Line: Vikings -3 (51% money on Steelers)
My Thoughts:
QB - Roethlisberger is not unplayable, but he's mostly cooked. He has been able to get the ball downfield, but his delivery is not what it once was, and he relies on short throws more often than not. Paired with a bad OL, it makes for a bad combination that is going to prevent this team from beating any decent defense.
HB - Najee Harris is a talented player and has had a few good games, but the Steelers had a lot more pressing needs they could have filled. The OL has not allowed for any room for Harris to run, as he's hit 3.2 YPC the past 3 weeks. Big Ben loves to check the ball down to him, as he's had 57 catches, but for a measly 6.8 yards a pop. They use Harris as a traditional bellcow, barely giving any time to their backups. They've inexplicably spent 4th rounders on Snell and McFarland, who have amounted to nothing.
WR/TE - This unit lost its edge when Smith-Schuster went down. Johnson is a capable downfield threat when he's not dropping the ball, and is a guarantee for 10+ targets a game. Claypool hasn't been quite the same as last year due to injuries, but he's still a big-bodied receiver who's faster than expected. Washington has been a capable backup before, but he's having a horrid year, ranked as PFF's worst receiver. 2nd rounder TE Freiermuth is having a quality year for a rookie TE, and they love throwing to him in the redzone. Ebron was their 2TE but he's on the IR. Gentry is having a career year as a blocking TE.
OL - Uff da! The Steelers abandoned this unit over the offseason and have reaped what they sowed. They plugged in 4th round rookie Dan Moore into LT, and he's given up 5 sacks and 34 pressures - oh, and he can't run block, either! Finney got hurt last week, allowing for 2020 UDFA Leglue to fill in at LG. Sunday was his first career game and this will be his first career start. Meanwhile, 3rd rounder Green, a popular Vikings target, is also having a bad year. He's been passable in pass protection, but has been awful as a run blocker. Turner is having a nice turnaround year after it seemed like he might retire. Okorafor has been a very bad RT for multiple years now.
It is worth noting that a couple OL are on the COVID list and could return, but they're basically out of O-linemen. Yikes!
DL - Outside of Heyward, this depth chart has a lot of no-name players. JJ Watt gets tons of press, but Heyward is nearly as good and is way better (and more durable) at this point in time. He is capable of stone-walling a whole side of the OL. One big success story is Chris Wormley, a guy they acquired in a late round pick trade with their dreaded rival, the Ravens. He's turned into a
better run stuffer than pass rusher. The rest have not produced very well, as Buggs/Mondeaux have been ineffective at NT. They have little depth at DE, too.
LB - PFF has been harsh on LBs lately, and they have Bush with an awful 37 PFF rating (that's Abysmal). While he tackles well and rushes the QB very effectively, he's atrocious in coverage and is just generally in the wrong spot on the field. Schobert has been mediocre for a few years now.
ED - TJ Watt has been a menace, posting at least 13 sacks a year in 4 straight seasons, and he's already at a career high 16! Good luck, Oli. They've also turned Alex Highsmith, a late 3rd rounder from the 2020 class, into a very good pressure-generator. Once again, their depth is lacking.
DB - With their one quality CB in Haden out, Pittsburgh has opted to use Pierre and Sutton as their top CBs, and it hasn't worked that well. Witherspoon has been starting to work his way into the lineup, but he's had a shaky career. They don't have anyone who can handle Jefferson (does anybody, though?), so they'll have to double team him. FS Fitzpatrick is getting slammed by PFF, grading as the 4th worst safety in football. Personally, I don't see it, as he is not bad in coverage, but he has missed 13 tackles. Edmunds is underwhelming, and has not turned into the elite hard-nosed strong safety that he was billed as.
Prediction: Vikings 24, Steelers 17
While it is difficult to pick the Vikings to win a game after such an atrocious game against the Lions, their gravitational pull to .500 will net them a win against a Steelers team that is banged up/sick. This Pittsburgh roster is top heavy and has holes everywhere, but I'll credit Tomlin with somehow getting this team above .500 with not a whole lot. I am concerned that with the Vikings' recent record in primetime games, but with the defense getting healthier, I think we see the Steelers offense sputter and self-destruct.
Your thoughts?
... and neither is this Chris guy.