Five Key Matchups: vs. Steelers
With a league-leading defense facing a league-leading offense, Sunday's matchup between the Broncos and Steelers will feature outstanding individual battles.
Brown might be the toughest challenge yet for Harris this season with the speed and quickness he possesses. With 1,397 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, he's been QB Ben Roethlisberger's top receiving option and already has tallied 100 receptions. Harris, meanwhile, is third among CBs who have played at least 75 percent of snaps in the NFL in receiving yards allowed per reception at 9.4 yards. Brown is tied for most yards after catching passes.
After recovering from a back injury, DeMarcus Ware made his return last week against the Raiders. He was brought in sparingly, particularly on third downs. Expect to see him about twice as much this week against the Steelers, as Head Coach Gary Kubiak mentioned. Roethlisberger might be as tough as any quarterback to bring down because of his size and footwork, but the Broncos pass rush doesn't just bring one defender when it wants to bring pressure.
Heyward has been the Steelers' biggest run-stopping defender, and he's also been big in the pass rush. He has 45 total tackles (32 solo) and six sacks with one forced fumble. The Broncos need to make Heyward a non-factor in both facets to make sure their offense is balanced. C.J. Anderson is expected to return from injury but Hillman will still receive a good deal of the carries. His impact in chipping pass rushers or picking up blitzers will also be important.
With 5 sacks so far this season, James Harrison has still been a force for the Steelers in his 13th NFL season. On the opposite side, Ryan Harris will need to be on his P's and Q's to slow down Harrison and the rest of the Pittsburgh pass rushers.
A quiet secret about this Broncos defense that boasts elite talent on the edges and in the secondary is that Wolfe has been as important as anyone with his strength and speed to disrupt opponents' rushing attacks. Williams has been thrust into the starting role with Le'Veon Bell's season-ending knee injury, but there hasn't been much dropoff. Williams has racked up 773 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on a 4.7-yard average.
