The Steelers haven't used a lot of shadow coverage over the years in an attempt to take the other team's top receiver out of a game, but they have done it at times.
Ike Taylor used to follow the other team's top threat around when he was in his heyday and the Steelers did it last year in Houston when they had Joe Haden match up on DeAndre Hopkins, a big, physical receiver.
But they haven't done it yet this year, despite having already faced some of the league's best receivers in Cleveland's Jarvis Landry, Tampa Bay's Mike Evans and Kansas City's Tyreek Hill.
None of those guys, however, is as good as the receiver the Steelers (1-2-1) will face Sunday when they host the Falcons (1-3) at Heinz Field in a game which both teams are desperate to win.
Atlanta's Julio Jones, all 6-foot-3, 220-pounds of him, is currently on pace to become the first receiver in NFL history to post more than 2,000 yards in a season. He's already got 502 yards and has done so on 29 receptions, averaging 17.3 yards per catch.
The Steelers are going to be acutely aware of where No. 11 is at on the field at all times. And there's a good chance that wherever that might be, Jones will see Haden standing across the line of scrimmage from him.
"You just try to stay in front of him," Haden told me Friday. "He’s a very, very good deep threat. He’s a big, strong dude. You try to stay on top. It takes a team effort. You have to have the d-line making (Matt) Ryan feel uncomfortable. You can’t have him running five-second routes. It’s a whole team effort when they’re going vertical. We’re going to try to keep the deep ball from hitting us and paying attention to him and knowing where he’s at."
The issue, as it is for every cornerback who faces Jones, is that in addition to his size, he's also fast. He ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine when he entered the league in 2011. That's not necessarily faster than Haden, but at 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, he will be giving up four inches and nearly 30 pounds.
But it's not something to which Haden is unaccustomed. After all, he has matched up against top receivers in the past, helping limit Hopkins to four catches for 65 yards and an acrobatic touchdown last season and regularly drawing that assignment against Antonio Brown and A.J. Green when he was still with the Cleveland Browns. Haden also faced Jones as a member of the Browns and in college when he was at Florida and Jones was at Alabama.
Jones recorded five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown in that 2014 meeting against Cleveland -- a 26-24 Browns win in Atlanta -- on 13 targets.
But they haven't played each other since, meaning any familiarity is out the window. That makes this matchup even more difficult.
"Yeah, it definitely does," Haden told me. "You’ve got to watch the film and study up on him. Him and Matt have been together for a long time. They have a connection. So, you have to study his routes, what he likes to do, what he doesn’t like to do. I say it all of the time and it sounds simple, but keep the ball in front of you."
If Haden matches up on Jones -- who surprisingly hasn't scored a touchdown this season -- it would leave Artie Burns and slot corner Mike Hilton to face rookie Calvin Ridley, who leads the NFL with six touchdown receptions despite having just 15 catches, and Mohamed Sanu. Hilton is expected to return this week after sitting out last week's 26-14 loss to the Ravens with an elbow injury.
But the Steelers will likely be missing safety Morgan Burnett (groin) and linebacker Vince Williams (hamstring) from their defense. Both are doubtful to play, as is receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with an ankle injury.
Pressure from the front would help. The Steelers have recorded 13 sacks, which is tied for fourth in the league. But they had better get there this week. Otherwise, Haden and company could be in for a long day on the back end.
"I think our four-man rush has to improve and I think it will," said defensive coordinator Keith Butler. "They were good to us last year, they ended up getting a bunch of sacks for us last year. I like our match-ups this week in terms of trying to get pressure on the quarterback."
Haden knows that's the case. His six pass breakups are among the league leaders, and he's given up just seven completions on 18 passes thrown to his man. He's been a bright spot on a Steelers defense that hasn't had many.
It's a big reason the Steelers immediately scooped him up last season when he was inexplicably released by the Browns.
But expecting him to blanket Jones for extended periods just isn't realistic.
"You know it’s going to happen," said Haden of giving up some catches to Jones. "We’re just going to line it back up. He’s going to make his plays. You can’t let it get into your head. You have to continue to play your technique and hopefully, I’ll win more battles than he does."