Steelers Could Expose the Commanders in One Area
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers run game has absolutely dominated in the last three games, racking up 489 yards on 96 carries and five touchdowns. Running back Najee Harris has rushed over 100 yards in each of the last three games, contributing 322 yards and two touchdowns.
The Steelers will have a favorable matchup in one area on Sunday, as the Washington Commanders rank fourth-worst in run defense at 143.0 yards allowed per game. They’ve been solid in pass defense, however, ranking fifth-best at 183.3 yards allowed per game.
“It’s week to week. Continue to work for it. A lot of the recent success, that’s been a work in process all year,” Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said on Thursday. “You saw some of it in Vegas certainly with Naj. We’ve had a lot of different guys in there up front. We’ll have a new group. Zach [Frazier] is coming back. It’s a credit to the whole unit, I like we’re trending, but you have to work at it. When something is working well, you know they’re working on that on the other side. That will be a big part of this game on Sunday. The defense we’re playing is extremely fast. Two of the better inside linebackers in Bobby Wagner and [Frankie] Luvu. That presents different challenges. They’ve got really good team speed out there. Any Dan Quinn defense, got to play hard. Good test for us. We’re excited about it. Big-time matchup.”
It’s a small sample size, but the Steelers have averaged 417 yards and 31.5 points per game with Russell Wilson under center. The Steelers also get back starting rookie center Zach Frazier, which is a significant. Frazier was one of the best centers in the league prior to suffering a left ankle injury against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6.
“Yeah, Ryan [McCollum] did a heck of a job stepping in there. Zach has been playing good football. I don’t even look at him as a rookie,” Smith said. “He’s got such a good presence. We knew about him coming out of the draft how mature he was mentally. A guy that’s been off a couple of weeks, now you have to integrate back in. Zach’s been playing good football. We expect that to continue.”
If the Steelers get the run game going that would also open up the play-action game. Russell Wilson ranks third in passing grade off of play-action this season, according to Pro Football Focus. The Commanders defense has struggled against play-action (26th in yards per play allowed).
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Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
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