The Steelers are off to a fast start in 2024. At 3-1 they’re in first place in the highly competitive AFC North. It’s a division many predicted them to outright lose, and proof things can change quickly with the right quarterback under center.
The Cowboys come into Week 5 in a much different situation. With losses to Baltimore and New Orleans in the books, Dallas is just 2-2 and struggling on both sides of the ball. Mounting injuries have made their defense a who’s who of “the heck is this guy, while the offense can’t seem to find any weapon outside of CeeDee Lamb.
Pittsburgh wants to stay ahead of the surging Ravens while the Cowboys are just hoping to stay in the hunt. Both teams want a win in a rather big way and the hometown crowd in Pittsburgh is sure to make things extremely difficult on the Cowboys offense.
Dallas quite clearly needs to put points on the board because their defense is in disarray and will struggle just to get off the field. It’s essential the Cowboys avoid obvious passing situations on third downs because that’s where crowd noise and the pass rush will really make a difference. If Dallas can avoid getting costly pre-snap penalties and dodge obvious passing situations in the process, they may have a chance.
Key matchup No. 1: Mike Zimmer vs Justin Fields
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) draws back to pass Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Objective No. 1 has to be stopping Fields from running the ball. The Steelers quarterback is arguably the second-best rushing QB in the game today (behind Lamar Jackson) and the Cowboys traditionally have issues stopping mobile QBs.
The key to stopping various read options typically lies in edge play and the initial reaction of the defensive end. Playing with two replacement DEs, Dallas will have their work cut out for them on Sunday night. It will take a brilliant plan by Zimmer and flawless execution from the defense to stop fields from running all over the battered Dallas defense.
It’s going to take a plan, preparation and practice to make it work. All of that falls on Zimmer this week.
Key matchup No. 2: Terence Steele vs TJ Watt
. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
This matchup will go a long way in determining the winner of Sunday night’s game. It will also go a long in determining whether Steele has a future in Dallas beyond 2024 or not. With 210 of his 211 snaps coming off the left side of the defense, Watt is positioned to face Steele at right tackle.
Steele has had an up and down season in pass protection and needs to prove he can be a reliable building block going forward.
The Cowboys will likely move help in Steele’s direction when they can, but the RT is going to have to do the heavy lifting. Mike McCarthy has been rolling Dak Prescott out to the right to protect the rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton but that may not be possible this week given what’s waiting for him there.
With any luck Dallas will avoid obvious passing downs as much as possible, but when that can’t be avoided, it’s up to Steele to keep Prescott upright.
Key matchup No. 3: Mazi Smith vs Pittsburgh IOL
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Mazi Smith posted the best game of his career last week against the Giants. Unfortunately, that isn’t saying much. Smith has been a massive disappointment since entering the NFL in 2023 and up until last week appeared to be wandering in “bust” territory.
But if Smith can repeat his Week 4 performance against the Steelers, he may almost singlehandedly save the game. Controlling the front of the pocket and holding up against the Pittsburgh interior would go a long way in controlling the read options and surviving spotty edge play.
The Steelers are without their top interior lineman in James Daniels and if Isaac Seumalu can’t make it back, they will be relying on Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson, and rookie center Zach Frazier to control the middle of the line.
Without many other viable options on the roster, the weight falls on Smith’s shoulders.
Conclusion
Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
The Cowboys are underdogs in this game for a reason. They’re a struggling team on the road who are now dealing with major injuries. Dallas has an unbalanced offense that relies almost solely on one player downfield to move the chains.
The Steelers are from an elite team, but they might be just good enough to dominate possession and hold Dallas to under 20 points. If the Cowboys can turn this into a shootout, they increase their odds, but that means making the most of their offensive opportunities when they get them.
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Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
