Packers vs. Steelers: X-Factors

Looking beyond the headliners such as Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, here is a key player on each side of the ball for Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers (2-1) will host the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) at 3:25 p.m. Sunday at Lambeau Field. Looking beyond the obvious names, here are two X-factors – one on each side of the ball – that could play key roles.

Offense: RT Billy Turner

Right tackle Billy Turner is accustomed to difficult matchups. For instance, he’s had a few battles against NFC North foes Khalil Mack and Danielle Hunter. Last week, he faced San Francisco’s Arik Armstead.

On Sunday, it will be one of the biggest challenges of his career against Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt. Watt has recorded 13-plus sacks in each of the last three seasons. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White, who had a pair of four-year streaks, can match that feat in NFL history. Since the start of the 2019 season, Watt has a league-high 19 combined forced fumbles (12), fumble recoveries (four) and interceptions (three). Last year, he led the NFL in sacks (15), quarterback hits (41) and tackles for losses (23).

Watt can turn a game on a single play on any play. While there’s no doubt the coaches will give some help, it will be largely up to Turner to keep Watt from turning this game.

“He’s the highest-paid defensive player for a reason,” Turner said. “He plays with great effort. He has a great motor and he’s a technician. He knows when to work certain moves. Like I said, he’s got a great motor, just like his brother J.J. It’s a family thing, obviously. They have a great front seven and a great defense that they play with and have been playing with for a long time. It’s a historical team that notoriously has always had not only a great team but a great front seven and a great defense.”

Watt finished third in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year vote in 2019 and second last year. Playing in Lambeau Field, like he did with Wisconsin against LSU in 2016, will be special.

“My best friend growing up had Row 2 or 3 right by the Packers tunnel, and we would always try to catch the players' gloves and stuff like that after the game,” Watt, who dressed as Brett Favre four or five times for for Halloween, told reporters this week.

“A lot of family moments gathering around the TV. We didn't go to many games; when I did it was with my friends. Obviously, Green Bay is very, very big back home, so to be able to play in a historical venue like Lambeau is something special.”

Defense: Chandon Sullivan

The Steelers will be down one of their top weapons with Chase Claypool inactive. He caught a career-high nine passes last week against Cincinnati. A menacing 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, he is an imposing weapon who caught 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie.

That could mean more targets for JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster is the only player in NFL history to reach 250 receptions, 3,000 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns before his 24th birthday. He is the second-youngest player in NFL history to reach 300 receptions and the fourth-youngest to 3,000 receiving yards.

While his yards per catch plunged to a woeful 8.6 yards per reception last year (and is only 9.1 this year), he’s a big-play threat with a pair of 97-yard touchdowns on his resume. He leads the Steelers with eight receptions (in 10 targets) from the slot this season.

With Kevin King out again due to a concussion, the Packers will go with Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes at cornerback and Chandon Sullivan in the slot. Last year, according to Pro Football Focus and its best estimation of coverage responsibilities, of the 32 corners who played at least 160 coverage snaps from the slot, Sullivan ranked 10th in passer rating (89.6), 12th with 1.13 yards per coverage snap and second with 10.8 snaps per reception allowed. This year, in getting considerable action in Week 1 and Week 3, Sullivan has given up 2.38 yards per snap and 6.0 snaps per reception. He will need to play much better this week.

“They rush five and they’re really good,” Roethlisberger said of Green Bay’s defense. “They’ve got some secondary guys that can make plays: some guys at corner, a rookie and a veteran, opposite sides that stay on their sides, that take chances, that really just ballhawk it. Their safeties don’t switch sides a lot. They play boundary and field safeties. So far, I haven’t seen a defense that likes to do a lot of crazy stuff. They just line up and beat you. I think their plan is that they’re going to get after the quarterback with five rushers and make you get the ball out quick with some secondary guys that can make plays.”

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In one of our weekly features, here are three reasons to worry as the #Packers (as 6 1/2-point favorites) host the Steelers today.https://t.co/v5OmcCtFOZ

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 3, 2021