Dan*Rooney
09-10-2010, 01:50 PM
The Steelers will likely be 're-committing' to the run in their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. With featured runningback Rashard Mendenhall coming off a 1,100 yard campaign and an offseason emergence of a pro-bowl caliber center, Maurkice Pouncey, it seems as if the Steelers are moving in the right direction. The problem? With Ben Roethlisberger out due to his 4 game suspension, the Falcons will likely force 3rd year quarterback Dennis Dixon to beat them. Their gameplan will probably be simple: overloading the box and forcing 1-on-1 matchups against our WRs.
It's hard to say whether Dixon is ready to start in the NFL. In his lone start last season, Dixon did a good job of avoiding pressure taking no sacks but had a shabby stat-line at the end of the night; completing only 42 percent of his passes for 145 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Regardless of whether or not he was 'handcuffed' by OC Bruce Arians, he will need to perform better in this outing. The good new is Dixon will be facing an Atlanta defense that was rather generous a year ago, surrendering an average of 242.1 passing yards per game (28th overall) and 25 touchdowns through the air.
Key matchups:
WR Mike Wallace vs. CB Dunta Robinson and FS Thomas DeCoud - Mike Wallace will likely have Atlanta's no. 1 cornerback lined up against him in his first game as a starter with free safety Thomas DeCoud providing help over the top. It was obvious that Wallace could beat any no. 3 corner in the league last season. Is he capable of doing this against no. 2's and no. 1's?
WR Roddy White vs. CB Ike Taylor - There's no question that the Steelers secondary was painful to watch last season. Hoping to rebound from a down year, Ike will have his hands full with the former first round pick. In 2009, White was targeted 10 or more times in 11 games.
TE Tony Gonzalez vs. SS Troy Polamalu and ILB Lawrence Timmons - Gonzalez remains the #2 target for Ryan. I expect LeBeau to utilize a combination of Polamalu and Timmons in coverage when Gonzalez is lined up wide.
RB Rashard Mendenhall vs. the Falcon's DL - DT Jonathan Babineaux will miss week 1 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Rookie Corey Peters, a third-round pick out of Kentucky, is expected to fill in. This will likely leave an inside gap in Falcons run support. Look for Kemoeatu to pull and for Rashard to attack towards the right side. This should be a favorable matchup against the run with Flozell anchored at RT.
QB Matt Ryan vs. DC Dick LeBeau - Hard match for any quarterback, eh? Imagine if you've never faced the mastermind before; let alone any defense from the AFC North. The Falcons have struggled against 3-4 teams in the past and they're about the face arguably the best one. If Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, and Ziggy are able to get consistent pressure, I believe Ryan is in for a long night.
It's hard to say whether Dixon is ready to start in the NFL. In his lone start last season, Dixon did a good job of avoiding pressure taking no sacks but had a shabby stat-line at the end of the night; completing only 42 percent of his passes for 145 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Regardless of whether or not he was 'handcuffed' by OC Bruce Arians, he will need to perform better in this outing. The good new is Dixon will be facing an Atlanta defense that was rather generous a year ago, surrendering an average of 242.1 passing yards per game (28th overall) and 25 touchdowns through the air.
Key matchups:
WR Mike Wallace vs. CB Dunta Robinson and FS Thomas DeCoud - Mike Wallace will likely have Atlanta's no. 1 cornerback lined up against him in his first game as a starter with free safety Thomas DeCoud providing help over the top. It was obvious that Wallace could beat any no. 3 corner in the league last season. Is he capable of doing this against no. 2's and no. 1's?
WR Roddy White vs. CB Ike Taylor - There's no question that the Steelers secondary was painful to watch last season. Hoping to rebound from a down year, Ike will have his hands full with the former first round pick. In 2009, White was targeted 10 or more times in 11 games.
TE Tony Gonzalez vs. SS Troy Polamalu and ILB Lawrence Timmons - Gonzalez remains the #2 target for Ryan. I expect LeBeau to utilize a combination of Polamalu and Timmons in coverage when Gonzalez is lined up wide.
RB Rashard Mendenhall vs. the Falcon's DL - DT Jonathan Babineaux will miss week 1 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Rookie Corey Peters, a third-round pick out of Kentucky, is expected to fill in. This will likely leave an inside gap in Falcons run support. Look for Kemoeatu to pull and for Rashard to attack towards the right side. This should be a favorable matchup against the run with Flozell anchored at RT.
QB Matt Ryan vs. DC Dick LeBeau - Hard match for any quarterback, eh? Imagine if you've never faced the mastermind before; let alone any defense from the AFC North. The Falcons have struggled against 3-4 teams in the past and they're about the face arguably the best one. If Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, and Ziggy are able to get consistent pressure, I believe Ryan is in for a long night.