New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: A Few Final Thoughts

The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are set to kick off the 2015 NFL season tonight, in what should be a terrific matchup. Rarely do we get to see two Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks not named Brady and Peyton go at it, so I am definitely excited for this tilt.

In case you missed it earlier this week, here are my three offensive keys for the Pats, and three defensive keys for Bill Belichick and company.

As kickoff approaches, here are a few final thoughts on the game:

1. Protect Brady

The Pats can tear apart this Pittsburgh secondary with their offensive weapons, but Tom Brady must have ample protection. New England has a great duo of offensive tackles in Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer, but the inside is shaky. Bryan Stork is out for this one, so it is likely the Patriots will start two rookies alongside Ryan Wendell on the interior. If these young kids can hold up, and give Brady a nice pocket, the Pats will roll.

2. Brown vs. Butler

With Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell out for the Steelers, New England can focus pretty much all of their attention on Antonion Brown. The Steelers offense will run through him tonight, so if the Pats can slow him down, they slow down the entire unit. I think Malcolm Butler will shadow Brown wherever he goes, with constant safety help over the top. This is Butler’s first real challenge as a top corner, so it will be interesting to see how he fares.

3. Red Zone

In 2014, the Steelers were ranked 31st in red zone offense on the road, and that was with Bell and Bryant, who combined for 19 touchdowns. If the Patriots can force Big Ben and company to settle for field goals in this game, you can pretty much book a New England victory. When Pittburgh gets close to the end zone, look for New England to dedicate even more attention to Brown, and also send extra defenders to tight end Heath Miller, because quarterbacks love to go to their big tight ends in the red zone.

4. Attack The A-Gap

Like New England, the Steelers will also be without their starting center tonight, as Maurkice Pouncey is out for a little while. The Patriots have one of the best front sevens in the league, and they excel at getting pressure up the A-gap. With the explosive Dominique Easley playing inside, and the likes of Jamie Collins, Jerod Mayo, and Dont’a Hightower blitzing behind him, the interior of the Steelers’ offensive line will have their hands full containing this pass rush.

5. Weather/Turnovers

It is expected to rain tonight, which may affect special teams and the kicking game. Unless it is a straight up downpour, it shouldn’t do much to Brady and Roethlisberger, as these two have played in bad-weather cities their entire NFL careers. However holding onto the football for other players will be vital if the rain picks up, as turnovers can swing big games more than anything else. Also in the kicking game, the Steelers have had a lot of bad luck this preseason with kickers getting injured, while the Patriots still have the best in the game in Stephen Gostkowski. Just something to think about if this one comes down to a field goal.