A.J. Brown being sidelined changes the entire shape of this matchup for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Brown on injured reserve and out for Week 2, Pittsburgh avoids the one receiver who could have forced its coverage plan into a straightjacket. Instead, the Steelers are left to deal with a New England passing game that may not have a single featured target, but does have plenty of moving parts.
That is exactly the kind of setup that can stress a secondary. Mike Vrabel made clear Brown won’t simply be replaced by one man.
He said Brown had lined up in multiple spots, and New England plans to keep shifting receivers through those roles. Vrabel singled out Mack Hollins as someone who can handle different positions, and that kind of flexibility can make life messy for a defense that has to sort out motion, stacks, and shifting personnel on the fly.
“... Sometimes he was the X, sometimes he was the F, the Z,” Vrabel said of Brown. “We’ll have to move guys around to different positions.”
On paper, Brown’s absence lowers the Patriots’ ceiling in the passing game. In practice, it just changes the challenge.
Pittsburgh now has to communicate cleanly against a rotation that includes Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Romeo Doubs, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Hunter Henry. None of them is Brown.
All of them together can still make a defense work.
New England already showed that committee approach after Brown went out in Week 1. Hollins led the Patriots with 51 receiving yards, Stevenson caught five passes for 44 yards, and Douglas also hauled in five catches.
Doubs didn’t have a reception on three targets, but he did put up 724 yards last season. The point isn’t that any one of these players creates the same one-on-one stress Brown does.
It’s that the group can force Pittsburgh to get every coverage call right.
That matters even more because of how Atlanta found its passing-game success against Pittsburgh. Bijan Robinson was the only steady receiving threat, catching eight passes while every other Falcon combined for four. That kind of result puts a spotlight on how the Steelers handle backs and tight ends when the ball isn’t going to a true top receiver.
Henry is another problem Pittsburgh already knows. In last season’s meeting, he ripped the Steelers for eight catches, 90 yards, and two touchdowns. Even without Brown on the field, Drake Maye still has places to attack the seams, the flats, and the underneath areas that can open up if the defense is slow to sort out responsibilities.
Pittsburgh’s secondary held together without Joey Porter Jr. last week, but Cooper Rush is not Maye. Porter has again been ruled out for Sunday, which puts the burden on Asante Samuel Jr. right away.
It also makes Jalen Ramsey’s play even more important, since the Steelers are expected to lean heavily on zone coverage until - or if - their star corner comes back. That means more space work for Ramsey and more downhill duty from the slot.
There’s also a bigger ask for Rayshawn Jenkins, who had a rough opener and gave up a touchdown to Robinson. The Steelers built this veteran-heavy secondary to handle a variety of jobs. Sunday will show whether that flexibility turns into organized coverage - or whether it turns into a lot of pointing and talking after the ball is already caught.
In Other News...
Steelers Hit With Two Costly Absences Ahead Of Patriots Trip
The Steelers head into their trip to New England dealing with a pair of absences that change both sides of the ball. Joey Porter Jr. is out while contract negotiations continue, and Michael Pittman Jr. will miss the game because of a foot injury, leaving Pittsburgh thinner at cornerback and taking away one of its receiving options before facing the Patriots.
Germie Bernard now looks set for a bigger role with Pittman Jr. sidelined, which gives the rookie a chance to make himself part of the conversation a little earlier than expected. For a Steelers team trying to stay steady on the road, the timing of these absences only adds to the challenge of getting through a tricky AFC test. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Wont Like What Joey Porter Jr. Might Be Worth
The contract picture around Joey Porter Jr. has become one of the more uncomfortable talking points in Pittsburgh, because the Steelers and the young corner still have not reached an extension agreement. For a team that has invested in developing Porter into a key part of its secondary, the lack of a deal has naturally led to trade speculation, even if nothing has been publicly finalized.
What may sting most for Steelers fans is the sense that the return would not match the talent or the expectations surrounding him. Early talk suggests Pittsburgh might only be looking at a second- or third-round pick if it ever got serious about moving him, which is a far cry from the kind of haul some around the league may have once imagined. For now, the situation is still unresolved, and the longer it drags on, the more it invites questions about where Porter fits in the Steelers' future. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Could Be Forced To Lean On An Unexpected Rookie In Week 2
The Steelers are heading into a Week 2 matchup with New England already having to sort through a receiver situation that could reshape their game plan. Michael Pittman Jr. is listed as questionable because of a foot injury, and if he cannot go, Pittsburgh may need to turn to Germie Bernard, a rookie who was still trying to make his mark in the preseason not long ago.
Bernards possible jump from developmental depth piece to meaningful snaps would be a notable twist for an offense that would prefer more certainty this early in the season. The Patriots present a good test for any young receiver, and Pittsburgh may find itself leaning on Bernard sooner than expected if Pittmans status does not clear up before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]