Meet The Opponent: Steelers Return Home to Face Broncos
Who: Denver Broncos (0-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
When: Sunday, September 20 at 1:00 PM ET
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Network: CBS
Broadcast team: Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon, Jay Feely
Spread: Steelers (-7.5)
The Pittsburgh Steelers would normally be greeted with a sea of waving terrible towels in their home opener, but 2020 had other plans. The only thing seemingly going to plan is a 1-0 Steelers football team, fresh off a dominant victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
The opponent in week two? A Denver Broncos football team who also played on Monday night, narrowly falling to the Tennessee Titans in a close 16-14 game.
The Broncos possess a plethora of young talent on the offensive side of the football, and that starts with the swagger of second-year quarterback Drew Lock. While many fans remember Lock rapping verbatim to Young Jeezy on the sidelines, the swagger also carries to the field. Against a stout Titans defense, Lock went 22/33 for 216 yards and one touchdown, and what a beauty that touchdown throw was.
Lock certainly has the arm talent to make throws, and he's got quite the receiving corps to catch said passes. Rookie wide receiver Jerry Jeudy looked every bit of the first-round pick he was taken with despite two drops on Monday night, as his footwork/agility is second to none for his age.
The Broncos hope to regain previously injured receivers Courtland Sutton (shoulder) and KJ Hamler (hamstring) back to the lineup, with Sutton limited in practice and Hamler practicing in full. After a strong rookie season, Sutton's presence would be a welcome sight for Lock and the rest of the offense, as he provides a big-bodied (6-4, 216 lbs) valuable downfield threat. Hamler, along with DaeSean Hamilton, Tyrie Cleveland and Tim Patrick, round out a very young and talented receiving corps.
Also included in pass-catchers is second-year tight end Noah Fant, who was selected with Pittsburgh's first-round pick in the trade that brought Devin Bush to the steel city. Fant registered five receptions for 81 yards (a team-high) and a touchdown last week and looks to pose a problem for Pittsburgh's linebackers and safeties this week.
With Phillip Lindsay now expected to miss the next few weeks with a turf toe injury, the keys to the Broncos backfield now solely belong to newcomer Melvin Gordon, who rushed for 78 yards on 15 attempts (5.2 yards per carry) and one touchdown last week. Gordon poses a viable threat in both the running and passing attack, and will likely see more work through the air in Lindsay's absence. This could mean more work for Royce Freeman in the backfield, although Freeman will likely supplement Gordon when needed.
The Broncos offensive line will carry over the same starting five come Sunday:
LT- Garett Bolles
LG- Dalton Risner
C- Lloyd Cushenberry III
RG- Graham Glasgow
RT- Elijah Wilkerson
Denver's offensive line allowed just six quarterback pressures against Tennessee, totaling just one hit on Lock all night. We'll see if a Steelers front seven can change that narrative. With Lock making just his seventh NFL start, it's imperative the Broncos offensive line helps keep him upright, and they're off to a good start. Cushenberry's play was the most notable when re-watching the game, as the rookie center already is playing like a true NFL veteran. It's also notable to point out Bolles has yet to miss a game since being drafted in 2017, and did a formidable job against Jadeveon Clowney last week.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Broncos will be without two key players in linebacker Von Miller (ankle) and cornerback A.J. Bouye (shoulder) when they travel to Pittsburgh, with Miller being out for the season and Bouye likely being out for a few weeks. Miller was out for last week's match-up with the Titans, while Bouye was hurt during action.
Running a 3-4 base defense, the Broncos have quite the front seven even in Miller's absence. Defensive ends Jurrell Casey and Shelby Harris have proven to be handfuls for offensive linemen, while veteran Mike Purcell anchors the defense at nose tackle. Bradley Chubb headlines Denver's front seven as a disruptive outside linebacker, with Jeremiah Attaochu lined up opposite of him. Inside linebacker Alexander Johnson led the team with 12 total tackles on Monday night, eight of them being solo efforts. Josey Jewell aligns next to Johnson to complete the front seven.
Denver's secondary is highlighted by two tremendously talented safeties, with Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons patrolling the back end of the defense. Simmons and Jackson were two of three Broncos players on defense to play 100% of snaps in week one.
With Bouye out, the Broncos look to rely on Bryce Callahan as their number one cornerback. Rookie cornerbacks will be tested heavily on Sunday, as Michael Ojemudia and Essang Bassey will need to step up against a talented Steelers receiving corps.
The following is Denver's injury report from Thursday's practice:
LB Mark Barron (Hamstring) - DNP
DB A.J. Bouye (Shoulder) - Placed on IR
S Kareem Jackson (NIR) - Full
RB Phillip Lindsay (Toe) - DNP
T Garrett Bolles (Elbow) - Limited
WR Tyrie Cleveland (Hip) - Limited
S Trey Marshall (Wrist) - Full
WR Courtland Sutton (Shoulder) - Limited
OLB Bradley Chubb (Knee) - Full
WR KJ Hamler (Hamstring) - Full
TE Albert Okwuegbunam (Hip) - Full
It's also notable to point out the Broncos signed former Steelers linebacker Anthony Chickillo ahead of their match-up, with a high likelihood of (at least attempting) to gain inside information on Pittsburgh's defensive schemes.
Donnie Druin is a Staff Writer with AllSteelers. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
