5 Steelers Keys to Victory in the AFC Championship Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers are underdogs in Foxborough against the New England Patriots Sunday. But there is a handful of things they can do to come out victorious.

For the first time since their 2010, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the AFC Championship game. The 11-5 AFC North champions are young and stacked with talent on both sides. But they have the daunting task of facing Tom Brady and the Patriots in Foxborough. 

The two franchises last met in the playoffs in the 2004 AFC Championship game where the Pats were victorious. As of late, the “rivalry” has been pretty lopsided as the Pats have won four of the last five meetings. However, this is a completely different Steelers team.

The offense, now led by superstar Le’Veon Bell, is one of the best of this era when at its best. Meanwhile, the defense has improved week by week with their superb red zone production. 

The Patriots come in with an eight-game win streak while the Steelers come into the game with a nine-game win streak. Brady is red hot  right now and the Patriots defense is ranked No.1 in allowed so while it will be difficult, victory is achievable.

Here are five keys to a Steelers victory against the Patriots in the 2017 AFC Championship game.

1. Le’Veon Bell: prove once again why you are the best running back in football

While a case can be made for David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliott, there’s no denying that Le’Veon Bell is the best running back in football. He defines valuable as he can take over games with his signature, patient running style as a rusher and receiver. Just like he did against the Dolphins and Chiefs, Bell will need to dominate once again to lead the Steelers to victory.

For a Patriots defense that is not afraid to stack the box when they anticipate a potential run play by the opposing offense, Bell will need to be a huge playmaker this time around. The Patriots are one of the more aggressive tackling teams in the league as they do a good job of limiting missed tackles and opponents yards after contact and yards after the catch stats.

Bell totaled 149 yards from scrimmage with a 4.8 yards per play average against the Pats earlier this season and if the Steelers can get anywhere near the same amount of productivity that Bell had in that previous matchup, it will be a huge boost for the Steelers in the AFC title game. Unlike his last two playoff games, look for Bell to be more active as a receiver. Whether it is coming out of the backfield with a wheel route or lining up as a receiver for a deep route, Bell has proven to be a reliable target in the passing game so watch out for whatever tricks offensive coordinator Todd Haley has in store. 

2. Continue to have success with an effective pass rush

In the Steelers nine-game winning streak, they have suddenly played like the elite 2000’s Steelers defense.

The Steelers pass defense coverage has improved immensely along with their pass rush. In their last nine games, the Steelers defense has recorded 31 sacks and 65 quarterback hits, stats that you’d expect from a team like Seattle or Denver.

The Steelers have been successfully able to mix up their defensive play calling to get pressure on the opposing quarterback. The Steelers defense has come with everything from an all-out blitz to a three-man rush with a DB blitzing. And they have been one of the best over the last two months.

Now if they want to beat the Pats, they’ll need to continue to effectively pressure Tom Brady. Little to no pressure on Brady will lead to Brady having more time in the pocket to survey his options and eventually hit his target for a potential big gain play.  Edge rushers Bud Dupree and the never aging James Harrison must be able to  apply quick pressure to get Brady out of the pocket and force a low percentage pass. Getting pressure on Brady will help out a Steelers secondary that has struggled against Brady and the Patriots offense.

If the Steelers are able to get consistent pressure on Brady, this could be a long day for Patriots tackles Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon.

3. Ben Roethlisberger needs to have the game of his life

After the Steelers loss to the Ravens in week 9, Ben Roethlisberger told his team to “follow me.” The Steelers would then go on to win seven of their last eight games and clinch the division. But this is the game where those two words matter the most.

Roethlisberger is looking for his fourth Super Bowl appearance. This matchup against the Patriots will be another test of his leadership. He will be the first ones to tell you that he needs to have a stellar game against the Patriots.

His playoff performances as of late have been subpar at best. In his last five career playoff games, Roethlisberger has thrown four TDs and five INTs. Not only that but this season, he has been a completely different quarterback on the road compared to at home.

At home this regular season, he’s thrown for 20 TDs, five INTs and a 116.7 passer rating. On the road this regular season, Roethlisberger has thrown for nine TDs, eight INTs, and a 78.4 passer rating. The trend has continued in the playoffs so far too.

He has a 105.3 passer rating in the home matchup against the Dolphins with two TDs. Compare that to zero touchdown passes and a 72.5 passer rating in the road game against the Chiefs. Big Ben has to come through on the road to beat Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

4. Avoid the dumb and costly unnecessary penalties on defense

The Steelers defense is aggressive and physical but sometimes, they take it too far.

For example, look at the two most controversial calls of the playoffs so far: Bud Dupree’s hit on Matt Moore in the Wildcard Round and Sean Davis’ hit on Chris Conley in the divisional round. In the 1970’s or 1980’s, those hits would be legal and acceptable.

But this is a new era of football where player safety has become one of the league’s top concerns. Both of those hits resulted in 15-yard penalties and the Dolphins and Chiefs were able to score on their drives.

Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler need to emphasize to the team that this is the AFC Championship game. There is no need for the dumb and completely unnecessary penalties on defense. The Steelers can’t afford 15-yard penalties against the Patriots.

The Patriots will take 15-yard penalties and turn them into a long touchdown drives. The plan is simple for the Steelers: continue to play aggressive, physical defense but also be disciplined, smart ,and know when to push the limit.

5. With Rob Gronkowski out, the Steelers secondary needs to take advantage with a superb performance

It is no secret that Tom Brady has owned the Steelers defense as of late. In his last three games against them, Brady has a 10 touchdowns to 0 interceptions with over 70 percent of passes completed. It has been easy work for Brady to tear apart the Steelers secondary.

Brady and Gronk have had their way against the Steelers but this time around, Gronk will not be available. Not facing Gronk is a huge sigh of relief for the Steelers. In five games vs. the Steelers, Gronk has eight TD catches and averaged 16.5 yards per catch.

But even without Gronk, it will still be a difficult challenge for the Steelers. A receiver supporting cast of Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola and tight end Martellus Bennett can do damage. It will be up to the Steelers young secondary to dictate this game from the start.

Rookie Artie Burns will face plenty of targets considering his inexperience. Burns will have to avoid allowing a big plays and secure tackles avoid a huge yards after the catch. The same goes for safeties Mike Mitchell and rookie Sean Davis.

They will both be relied on to be the playmakers in creating takeaways and breaking up passes in coverage. Also look for linebackers Ryan Shazier and Lawrence Timmons to see an increase in pass coverage plays when the Steelers drop eight in coverage.