New York Jets

Jets at Steelers Week 5: Highlights, score and recap

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Stopping a multi-layered Pittsburgh Steelers offense is the awesome challenge facing the New York Jets at Heinz Field this Sunday.

It won’t be easy, especially since the Steelers are loaded at the skill positions. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can fire passes to the NFL‘s premier wide receiver, Antonio Brown. But No. 84 is just one of many playmakers Pittsburgh’s quarterback can target.

Sammie Coates, Markus Wheaton and Darrius Heyward-Bey all contribute big plays in the passing game. Meanwhile, things are just as strong on the ground, where Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams take turns wearing defenses out.

Combine this deep a talent pool with a physical and savvy offensive line, and you have a mountain of trouble for any defense. The combination rates as particularly bad news for a Jets D’ wildly inconsistent through four games this season.

Despite a bevy of dominant linemen, including Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson, the Jets are failing to make life difficult for quarterbacks. It would help if head coach Todd Bowles went back to the blitz-heavy approach he used at the coordinator level for two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

Instead, Bowles seems content to ask trench warriors like Williams to wreck every level of an offense. It’s a lot of pressure against the Steelers’ versatile attack.

Highlights

Highlights will be posted as and when they happen.

Three Stars

Here’s a preview of the three players who should dominate this game.

1. Antonio Brown

It’s hard to stop Brown no matter what your scheme is or who your players are. Bowles and the Jets will find out how hard in Week 5.

If they go man coverage, Brown’s deft cuts and slippery routes out of his breaks will create a host of big plays. Not to mention how offensive coordinator Todd Haley will simply hide Brown in bunch sets and use crossing patterns to beat single coverage and free his top receiver over the middle.

The Jets aren’t the type of defense to pay Brown the extra attention he merits. Locking him up one-on-one will look like an even bigger risk if veteran cornerback Darrelle Revis can’t go. He’s suffering from a hamstring strain, and Bowles has indicated any decision will be made late, per Brian Costello of the New York Daily News:

Bowles said Revis decision could go right up to game time #nyj

— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) October 6, 2016

No Revis would be just one more reason why Brown should dominate this week.

2. Le’Veon Bell

Arguably the most dynamic running back in football may struggle to boss things on the ground against New York’s mammoth D-line. But Bell can still be a matchup nightmare as a pass-catcher.

He’s one of the more skilled backs with his hands in the NFL, also boasting a keen understanding of pass concepts. Haley is keen to get No. 26 heavily involved as a receiver, and the player has been working hard to get up to speed with that portion of the playbook, as these highlights from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler show:

Le’Veon Bell running routes at a practice this week. pic.twitter.com/ytFUcjhoFX

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 7, 2016

A dual-purpose threat defines Bell’s game. His flexibility is showing up in historic numbers, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, citing research from Pro Football Reference:

Bell averages 120.7 yards per game from scrimmage (rushing and receiving) for his career. That, for a player with a minimum of 3,000 yards gained, is more than anyone in the NFL since the 1970 league merger, according to Pro Football Reference analysis done by Stuart Young of Synexus Clinical Research Limited.

If the Jets want to lock up outside receivers in man coverage, they’ll leave linebackers on Bell. It’s a matchup Roethlisberger and the Steelers will gladly take all day.

3. Lawrence Timmons

Surprisingly, Lawrence Timmons has only got his hands on the ball once this season. The 10-year pro has registered just a single pass breakup and no interceptions. They are unusually low numbers for one of the better coverage linebackers in the game.

So Timmons should welcome a visit from turnover-prone Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He’s thrown 10 interceptions already this season, with nine coming in the last two games. Timmons can pile on the misery as a deadly equalizer against the crossing patterns the Jets love to run inside.

He’ll also be very useful in blitz packages. Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Kevin Butler was more aggressive with pressure for Week 4’s blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He should remain just as attack-minded against these Jets by moving Timmons around to rush from all angles.

Next Week

Both teams will hit the road in Week 6. The schedule sends the Steelers to the Miami Dolphins, while Bowles will visit former team the Cardinals on Monday night.