Take the Crowd Out of the Game Immediately
As was the case last week in Atlanta, this is a Steeler team that thrives off the loud home environment (seen a "Terrible Towel" or two?) and it will be incumbent to deal with that early. As we all saw at the Georgia Dome, the Bucs never responded or recovered in the first quarter as the game got out of hand and the decibels continued to rise. Whether it's the offense putting together a lengthy drive early or the D making a big play, etc, the Bucs must find a way to lessen the noise. The more positives for the guys in Pewter and Red, the quieter it will be.
Pressure Roethlisberger with the Defensive Line
Again, it looks as though both Gerald McCoy and Michael Johnson are slated to play significant time Sunday. While Johnson did play a few snaps in Atlanta, his ankle has been getting better and we should see more of what the Bucs saw on tape during Free Agency evaluation. As for McCoy, you don't just take away arguably the best defensive lineman in the NFL and not have it affect you. His absence in the 2nd half of the Rams game and all of the Falcons game was noticed. And, his presence will be HUGE, if his left hand will let him play significantly. And it won't be just for making plays, but attracting double and triple teams. If the Bucs D can plug those two back into the line with Clinton McDonald, Will Gholston and DaQuan Bowers, they may be able to get after Big Ben without having to blitz. If they can, it will be another part of a chance to win.
Establish the Ground Game
It has been encouraging as the week has gone on that Doug Martin has been able to return to practice and is on track to see his first game action since the 2nd half of the Carolina opener. Bobby Rainey has been a mixed bag in Martin's absence. He and the run game were dynamic against the Rams, but he had nowhere to go against Atlanta and, unfortunately, turned the ball over twice. Look for the Bucs to utilize both Martin and Rainey, but will likely ride the back who can succeed as the game evolves. Opening holes against Steelers Hall of Fame Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau's front seven won't be easy, but it will be a key to Buccaneers success.
The Buccaneers hope to get more from their starting WR duo of Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, but Pittsburgh's pass defense has looked strong, even without injured CB Ike Taylor.
On Sunday, Doug Martin should see his first action since leaving in Week 1 with a knee injury after accumulating just 16 yards. While he will probably split carries with Bobby Rainey, he could be in line for his first big game since Week Two of last season, when he ran for 144 yards against New Orleans. Before holding Carolina to 42 yards on the ground last Sunday night, the Steelers defense gave up 191-yard and 157-yard rushing games to Cleveland and Baltimore. The defense is led in the middle by LB Lawrence Timmons, who leads the team in tackles with 29.
QB Ben Roethlisberger has the seventh most passing yards in the league through three games, along with three touchdown throws and two interceptions. What has been lacking in the Buccaneers' three losses is the presence of a dominant pass rush, which will be needed to limit Roethlisberger's effectiveness. Michael Johnson was limited in practice on Thursday but if he plays he should help make that push. Roethlisberger has been sacked six times this season, twice in the loss to the Baltimore, as the Ravens' defense also forced three turnovers.
The Bucs cornerback will have another big test this week against WR Antonio Brown, whose 22 receptions and 98.7 yards per game ranks him fifth in the NFL in each category. Brown has also been on the receiving end of all three Roethlisberger TD passes. According to Pro Football Focus, Verner has been targeted just 12 times, the sixth fewest of cornerbacks who play 75% of the team's snaps. He and the Bucs secondary will need to keep the speedy receiver in check and, more importantly, create turnovers to keep Brown and company off the field.
With 153.7 scrimmage yards per game, RB Le'Veon Bell is on pace for 2,459 total yards this season, which would be the second most in NFL history. We are just three games into this young NFL season, so we can't hand out awards just yet, but Bell has proven to be an enormous factor so far. DT Gerald McCoy has been limited in practice and if he plays it will be with a protective covering on his fractured left hand. He will need to continue his dominance in the middle to prevent Bell (5.9 yards per carry in 2014) from making big gains.
Last week the Steelers lost OLB Jarvis Jones, ILB Ryan Shazier and CB Ike Taylor to injuries, but their replacements performed well in Pittsburgh's 37-19 win over the Carolina Panthers. QB Mike Glennon is likely to get the start against a defense that currently ranks 11th in fewest passing yards allowed. If he plays, he'll need to limit his mistakes and capitalize on any opening, like he did for long stretches of last season, when he threw 19 TDs to just nine INTs.
Neither Buccaneers WR has had his breakout game yet this season. WR Mike Evans leads the team 13 catches and 138 yards, while WR Vincent Jackson has 102 yards with one touchdown. Last season with Glennon under center, Jackson averaged 73.8 yards per game and caught seven TD passes. Glennon completed just one pass to Evans in the preseason, a 42-yard gain that ended in a reversed TD call. They face two veteran cornerbacks who have combined for 10 career interceptions.
