Enemy Confidential: Steelers Facing Similar Desperation Gearing Up to Host Seahawks

Like Seattle, Pittsburgh has opened the season slowly with a 2-3 record and already sits two games out of first place in the AFC North. But an impressive Week 5 win over Denver has the franchise believing better days lie ahead and a victory against Seattle would put them right back in the division and playoff races.

Since the turn of the century, few NFL franchises have enjoyed more consistent success than the Seahawks and Steelers, who have combined to make 27 playoff appearances and win three Super Bowls during that span.

But so far in 2021, neither team has looked much like a playoff outfit amid disappointing 2-3 starts. While Seattle already sits three games out of first place in the NFC West, Pittsburgh isn't in a much better situation two games behind Baltimore with 12 games left to play.

However, as the two storied organizations prepare to face off in a must-win matchup at Heinz Field on Sunday, the Steelers enter the game riding a wave of momentum following an impressive 27-19 win over the Broncos last weekend. After being held to 17 or fewer points in three straight losses, rookie running back Najee Harris exploded for a career-best 122 rushing yards and Ben Roethlisberger turned back the clock with a vintage 253-yard, two-touchdown performance.

Defensively, Pittsburgh limited Denver to two third down conversions on 12 attempts and intercepted quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on the final possession in the end zone to thwart a potential game-tying rally. Throughout the game, they produced five quarterback hits and seven pass breakups, making plays from the front line all the way back to the secondary in a dominant display.

With both teams under .500 and aiming to turn things around approaching the midway point of the season, coach Pete Carroll knows the Seahawks are in for "another tough one" on the road against an opponent in a similar desperate situation, especially without Russell Wilson under center for the first time since 2011.

“We are kicking this week in, coming off a mini break and into a really big opportunity against a team that looked great last weekend," Carroll said. "We have to get our game going and I know they feel the same, a couple of 2-3 teams going at it on the East Coast on Sunday night. It’s going to call for a championship matchup and a championship performance from us. We have a lot that we need to get done this week and it’s going to be a challenge, obviously. We have a lot of respect for this club, their players, and their coaches."

As the two franchises prepare to face off for the second time in three years, here's a closer look at the Seahawks Week 6 opponent, including series history, additions/departures, key numbers, and coach Pete Carroll’s evaluation of the Steelers.

Series History

19th regular season meeting. The Seahawks hold a 10-8 advantage in regular season games between the two teams, including most recently winning in Pittsburgh in 2019.

The all-time series between the two franchises has been a back-and-forth affair, with neither the Seahawks nor the Steelers winning more than two consecutive regular season matchups. Pittsburgh did win three straight if a Super Bowl XL victory over Seattle at Ford Field in 2006 counts into the equation. Despite winning at Heinz Field in 2019, the Seahawks haven't had much luck against the Steelers on the road, posting a 3-7 all-time record in Pittsburgh. They've been far better at home with a near-perfect 7-1 record in Seattle.

What's New

Departures: The cap-strapped Steelers suffered several notable losses on both sides of the football during free agency, including on the offensive line. Perennial Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey retired after 11 NFL seasons, long-time starting tackle Alejandro Villanueva was allowed to walk and signed with the Ravens, and versatile guard Matt Feiler left to join the Chargers. In the backfield, former starting running back James Connor wasn't retained and signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals. Defensively, standout pass rusher Bud Dupree was too expensive to re-sign and went to the Titans and slot cornerback Mike Hilton jumped to a division foe by signing with the Bengals.

Additions: Given their financial issues, Pittsburgh wasn't a big player in free agency, but did execute a few thrifty signings later in the offseason to bolster its roster. To help offset the departure of Dupree, former Chargers star pass rusher Melvin Ingram joined the team midway through training camp. Along the offensive line, veteran Joe Haeg was signed to a one-year deal as a stop-gap replacement for Villaneuva and former Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner was signed to an affordable one-year, $3 million deal. In the draft, the Steelers nabbed dynamic Alabama running back Najee Harris in the first round and also landed a playmaking tight end in Penn State's Pat Freiermuth in the second round.

Injury Report

After undergoing shoulder surgery this week, the Steelers lost receiver Juju Smith-Schuster for the remainder of the season. Roethlisberger has been dealing with nagging pectoral and hip injuries and didn't practice on Wednesday, but he's expected to be ready to play on Sunday. Receivers Chase Claypool (hamstring) and James Washington (groin) as well as defensive tackle Cam Heyward (neck) were limited on Wednesday.

Inside The Scheme

Through five games, only the Rams and Washington Football Team have deployed 11 personnel with three receivers, one back, and one tight end more than the Steelers. That shouldn't come as a surprise, as they ranked second in the NFL in percentage of plays out of 11 personnel in 2020. They've also ran 14 percent of their remaining plays out of 12 personnel with two tight ends and two receivers.

Even with a new coordinator in Matt Canada, the Steelers still have remained a fairly shotgun-heavy offense and haven't utilized play action much compared to the rest of the NFL. According to Pro Football Reference, Roethlisberger currently ranks 25th in the league in play action pass attempts and hasn't been overly effective with those throws, averaging 6.88 yards per attempt. As of Week 4, the offense had actually been a bit more stagnant with pre-snap motion, declining from 15 percent in 2020 to 12 percent in 2021.

Historically, the Steelers have been an aggressive, blitz-heavy defense under coach Mike Tomlin. Last season, per Pro Football Focus, they blitzed on early downs 48 percent of the time, easily the highest rate in the NFL. They also posted a 39 percent pressure rate, which ranked first in the league. This year, however, they haven't blitzed near as much and currently rank 27th in the league sending five or more rushers on only 17.9 percent of defensive plays according to Pro Football Reference.

Schematically, after running Cover 1 on more than 30 percent of their defensive plays a year ago, per PFF, the Steelers have been running far less man coverage (18.7 percent) in part because they lost Hilton and don't have the horses to play man. They have been playing zone coverages at nearly a 12 percent increase compared to a year ago while coinciding with decreased blitz tendencies.

By The Numbers

6.6: Yards per pass attempt by Roethlisberger, the sixth-lowest rate in the league.

9: Rushes of 10-plus yards by Harris, tied for fifth-most in the NFL.

7.6: Yards after the catch per reception by Chase Claypool, seventh-most among qualified receivers per PFF.

51: Pass block win rate for Steelers offensive line, 28th in the NFL per ESPN.

43.9: Third down conversion percentage, eighth-best in the league.

100: Rushing yards given up per game, the ninth-fewest among NFL teams.

1: Pass play of 40-plus yards allowed this year, tied for second-fewest in league.

44: Run stop win rate for Heyward, fifth-highest among defensive tackles per ESPN.

50: Pass rush win rate by Steelers defensive line, ranking fifth-best per ESPN.

5.3: Sack percentage per 100 opposing drop backs, ranking 21st in the league.

Carroll's Thoughts

--On how Roethlisberger compares to earlier years: “The emphasis of the ball coming out fast is really evident, the ball really gets out. Nobody gets the ball out faster, I think we said that about the 49ers a couple of weeks ago, but these guys are faster at this point. That means that you can’t fool him. When stuff is happening, you are pressuring him, and coming at him, he knows everything that is going on and he just does not let you get to him. Their offense is really designed to use his decision making to spread the ball around the field, mix their runs and passes and the stuff that goes along with it. It includes a lot of quick perimeter stuff so he’s really good at doing that and he can strike you dead. He’s still throwing deep balls right on the money. He has a nice crew with him, with Najee [Harris] in there to hammer the football. It makes for a nice mix on their offense now.”

--On what Harris has brought to the Steelers' offense after rushing for over 100 yards for the first time in Week 5: “Boy, he has been consistent, He’s a really competitive football player. They have gone to him so much, they are running the ball a bunch already, he’s caught a bunch of passes as he is the leading receiver of the team. That’s their running game and they are really committed to him which was a great pick for them to do that. He is real creative and really aggressive. He’s bigger than most guys, he’s over 230 [pounds]. He runs through people, makes them miss, and makes them bounce off. He’s a really effective football player and is a really good player.”

--On dealing with T.J. Watt and a talented Steelers pass rush: “They have historically been a difficult defense. They play with an aggressive style but don’t pressure as much as you might think. They use their players and move them around to try to cause problems. They have historically been a good group, so they are a challenge because of the makeup of their play. T.J. [Watt] on one side is pretty good over there and they have some guys that will create problems for you that we have to deal with.”