5 questions with the enemy
The New York Giants (2-5) and Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) will square off on Monday night in a Week 8 matchup at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Giants opened the week as 5.5-point road underdogs but that spread has worsened slightly with Pittsburgh now at -6 as of this writing.
With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Steelers Wire managing editor Curt Popejoy.
What went into the Steelers’ decision to start Russell Wilson over Justin Fields? What changed after six weeks?
Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports
Popejoy: I think the plan was always to play Russell Wilson once he was 100 percent but I’m not sure anyone told Justin Fields. We saw last week the passing offense is more potent with Wilson throwing the ball and it sets up the run game instead of the other way around. Pittsburgh can still turn to Fields for packages but it would have never worked the other way around.
The Giants have major issues at the tackle positions. What, if anything, can they do to stop T.J. Watt from destroying the game?
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Teams have kept T.J. Watt in check this season by double-teaming him and handing him off from an offensive tackle to a tight end or back and having their quarterback get rid of the football. This has worked fairly well as Watt has only 4.5 sacks in seven games.
Are the Steelers susceptible through the air or do teams just resort to passing more as the result of trailing in games and/or not being able to run the ball?
Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
I do think offenses can take advantage of the secondary, especially with Donte Jackson dinged up. But you are right, the Steelers’ defense is going to lean heavily on shutting the run down and forcing other teams to throw the football.
Who is one under-the-radar player on both offense and defense that the Giants and their fans should be wary of?
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On offense, I’m going with big tight end Darnell Washington. Wilson likes him as a target and went to him early last week. Plus, he’s on the field a lot due to his run blocking, so look for him to see more reps on Monday night. On defense, gotta go with rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop. After picking off Aaron Rodgers twice last week, he’s not so under the radar but is having a solid season as the team’s slot cornerback.
Who do you think wins on Sunday and how do you see the game playing out?
Al Bello/Getty Images
It was only one game but it feels like the Steelers offense is set with Wilson under center. The defense is getting some guys healthy and I think it’s going to be a long day for the Giants trying to move the football. No blowouts here but a close win for the Steelers, 27-17.
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