Lolley's Kickoff: Steelers vs. Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- They say the neon lights are shining on Broadway. Typically, they are.

Tonight, however, all the lights will be shining on a spot across the Hudson River where Ben Roethlisberger will make his return to football after nearly a year to the day he suffered three torn flexor tendons in his throwing elbow last Sept. 15 at Heinz Field against the Seahawks. The future Hall of Fame quarterback will be back in a starring role for his 17th season with the Steelers.

Roethlisberger, now 38, is back. He's healthy. And, perhaps just as important, he's highly motivated. 

And nervous?

"It’s one of those things that you get out there, and hopefully, it all comes back to me really quick," Roethlisberger said this past week. "There’s going to be rust. There’s no doubt about it, but hopefully, we can get it knocked off sooner than later. I think that’s what makes it fun. If I wasn’t nervous, and I didn’t have that anxiousness, I think you shouldn’t be out there. There’s not a love for the game if you don’t have that. I think since I have those nerves already, it just shows that I still love this game and am still passionate for it, and I want to go out and win for my teammates, the fans and the city. I’m not sure how bad it’s going to be. We can talk after the game, but I’m sure it’s going to be pretty different."

Different indeed. Because of the pandemic, there will not be fans in the monstrous 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium. The Giants will pump in some crowd noise for new head coach Joe Judge's debut with the team, but it certainly won't be the same. And a New York team that has gone just 12-36 over the past three seasons -- including 4-12 in 2019 -- could use all the help it can get.

There are a good deal of unexpected consequences of that. Typically, when the Steelers are playing on the road, they'll use silent counts and hand signals on offense to offset the crowd noise. But because the crowd noise doesn't figure to be quite as loud as normal, they might have to do similar things to keep the defense from hearing what they're doing.

"We’ve talked about a lot of different scenarios even as much as giving multiple calls at a time not quite going as far as the baseball signals doing old three-type thing things like that the indicator," Roethlisberger said. "I think the crowd noise is going to be just enough that they can’t hear you in the huddle and things like that. Hopefully, we will be able to communicate and not be able to give too many things away. It’s going to be tricky though."

Given his experience -- and huge edge in that area over New York counterpart Daniel Jones and his 12 career starts -- the Steelers should be capable of figuring things out quickly and getting rolling, even if Roethlisberger is a little rusty -- or nervous.

How big is the difference between Roethlisberger and Jones, the sixth-overall pick in last year's draft?

Consider:

• Roethlisberger's 144 career wins are seventh-most in NFL history and just three behind Dan Marino for sixth place on the all-time list. Jones owns three career wins.

• Roethlisberger owns six career 450-yard passing games, the most in NFL history. Jones has never topped 400 yards and has one career 350-yard passing game.

• Roethlisberger enters the season with 56,545 career passing yards, eighth-most on the all-time list behind the player Jones replaced last season, Eli Manning (57,023). With two average games to start the season, Roethlisberger should pass Manning. Jones has 3,027 career passing yards.

• Roethlisberger has 363 career passing touchdowns, which ranks ninth in NFL history. He enters the season one behind Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers on the all-time list and three touchdown passes behind Manning for seventh place. Jones has 24.

• Roethlisberger has appeared in 218 career games, just two behind Mike Webster for the most in the Steelers' history. Jones, obviously, has appeared in 13 games.

• Roethlisberger will be starting his 15th career regular season opener. Jones will be doing it for the first time.

Yet it is Roethlisberger who admits to being nervous or anxious for this game.

"He’s no different than anybody else," Randy Fichtner said. "Yes, he’s got a lot of in-helmet perspectives and a lot of games played, but those juices will be flowing and it’ll be exciting for him. I’m excited for him."

So are his teammates.

There had to be some question because of the pandemic about whether or not this game would take place. But it's finally here.

"Oh for sure I've noticed it," James Washington said of Roethlisberger's level of growing anxiousness as the days counted down toward game time. "A guy like that, sitting out a full year, you're itching to get out there and play the game that you love. I can just imagine how he's going to feel Monday night."

THE ESSENTIALS

• Who: Steelers vs. Giants , opener for both
• When: 7:10 p.m.
• Where: MetLife Stadium
• Forecast: 78 degrees, partly cloudy
• TV: ESPN, WTAE (local)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: SiriusXM 81, Internet 826
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Media notes: Steelers | Giants

THE INJURY REPORT

Steelers: G David DeCastro (knee, out)

Giants: LB Tae Crowder (hamstring, questionable), WR Golden Tate (hamstring, questionable), TE Levine Toilolo (hamstring, questionable)

THE KEY VARIABLE

Can a revamped New York offensive line handle the NFL's best pass rush from each of the past three seasons?

The Steelers have led the NFL in sacks in each of the past three years -- the first time that's happened in NFL history (or at least since 1982 when sacks became an official stat) -- and Jones was taken down 38 times in his 13 games last season.

The Giants selected a pair of offensive tackles in the draft, taking Andrew Thomas in the first round and Matt Peart in the third. The idea was to use Thomas at right tackle with veteran Nate Solder holding down the left side.

Then Solder opted out of the season due to the pandemic and Thomas was moved over to the left side at least a year before the Giants wanted to do so. Peart competed with journeyman Cameron Fleming at right tackle. The veteran won the job, but it's hard to say it's a big upgrade for the Giants on the offensive line, which will be have three brand new starters.

The third, center Nick Gates, has never played that position in a college or NFL game.

The Steelers, meanwhile, aren't a team you want to be breaking in a new left tackle against in his first NFL snaps or against whom you have a weakness at right tackle.

That's because outside linebackers Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt are one of the top edge rushing duos in the league and are coming off a season in which they combined for 26 sacks with Watt finishing third in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

"If you overplay T.J. Watt, you have Bud Dupree on the other edge and he's just as fierce," said Judge. "We have to play smart as a team, we have to call it the right way as coaches, put them in the right position. This all ties into game planning and how we're working together. The simple answer, do you have to account for really good players, obviously we have to account for really good players. Watt, Bud Dupree, go down the whole list of those guys, they're all really good."

The Steelers had 54 sacks last season, one off the team record. And that was despite having Stephon Tuitt for just five full games and the first quarter of the sixth. Tuitt was off to his best season before tearing a pectoral muscle, recording 3.5 sacks in the first five games.

The Steelers are excited to get him back to pair with All-Pro Cam Heyward in the middle of their defense.

"He looks good. He looks like he did before he got hurt," said Keith Butler of Tuitt. "Hopefully, he plays as well as he did last year before he got hurt. I think he will. I think there is some discipline stuff that he needs to adhere to in terms of playing within the scheme of our defense. I think he will do that. Sometimes when he doesn’t play within the scheme, he makes big plays and that lends itself to want to keep doing it. But if you keep doing it, then it’s going to hurt your teammates. I think Tuitt is going to be a big asset for us."

The Steelers are hopeful the return of Tuitt will offset the loss of nose tackle Javon Hargrave in free agency. Hargrave will be replaced in the starting lineup by Tyson Alualu, a former first-round draft pick of the Jaguars, in the base defense.

So, a defense that had eight first-round draft picks in it last season, will once again feature eight first-round picks.

But it all starts with that front four of Watt, Dupree, Heyward and Tuitt.

"You look at their defense, it starts up front with those guys," Jones said. "Watt and all those guys up front can make plays. As an offense, as a quarterback, we have to make sure we're executing, that I'm understanding where to go with the ball, getting the ball out on time, and making sure we're sharp from that perspective. They're good players. They cause you to study what you're doing, make sure you're prepared going in and I think we will be."

THE HISTORY LESSON

The Giants traded for first-overall pick Manning in the 2004 NFL Draft, sending Philip Rivers and a bevy of picks to the Chargers to acquire the quarterback.

Later, the Steelers selected Roethlisberger with the 11th pick, setting the stage for the first career meeting for the duo in Week 14 of that season, Dec. 18 in New York.

The first two scores of the game didn't involve either player, as Willie Ponder got the Giants a 7-0 lead on the opening kickoff with a 91-yard return.

But it was another former college quarterback, Antwaan Randle El, who threw the first touchdown pass of the game. The Steelers wide receiver tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Verron Haynes midway through the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7.

The game would go back and forth from there, featuring seven lead changes as the two future Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks locked up in a duel that would, perhaps, be a testament to their overall careers.

Roethlisberger won it in the end, leading the Steelers on a touchdown drive, completing four-straight passes, the final being a 36-yard strike to Randle El, to set up a 1-yard Jerome Bettis touchdown run that put the Steelers ahead, 33-30.

Willie Williams then picked off Manning with 3:31 remaining to allow the Steelers to run out the clock for the victory that improved them to 13-1.

Roethlisberger, ever the gunslinger, threw for 316 yards, completing 18-of-28 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions. It was the first of a team-record 66 career 300 games -- and counting -- for Roethlisberger.

Manning was 16 for 23 for 182 yards and two touchdowns but that very costly interception at the end that sent the Giants to a 5-9 record.

Bettis had 36 carries for 140 yards, while Randle El had five receptions for 149 yards and Hines Ward had nine catches for 134 yards in the win.

THE MAIN MATCHUP

If the Giants are going to have a chance to win this game, it will be because their offensive stars have a good game. Those stars? Running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Evan Engram.

Two of the best young players in the NFL at their positions, they offer some unique challenges to the Steelers' defense.

Barkley, the second-overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft out of Penn State, has rushed for 2,310 yards and caught 143 passes for 1,159 yards with 23 total touchdowns in 29 games. That's an average of 119.6 total yards per game in his young career.

The Steelers allowed just one running back to post over 100 total yards last season, that coming in their finale by Baltimore's Gus Edwards.

"I was able to play against him at Penn State. Just a specimen," said Watt, who played collegiately at Wisconsin. "A guy that's very big that can run the ball. He can run the ball inside the tackles, outside the tackles, has a good stiff arm and a good spin as well. A guy that can do everything out of the backfield for them. It'll be a challenge but that's why we always have to start with smashing the run as a defense to be effective."

Engram, meanwhile, might be the fastest tight end in the NFL. He was timed at 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2017. The Giants selected the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Engram eight spots ahead of Watt in the draft that year.

He's battled various injuries, but has caught 153 passes for 1,766 yards and 12 touchdowns in 34 career games. Last season, he had a 75-yard touchdown catch, a rarity for a tight end.

"(Barkley) is a premier back in the League, no doubt about that. If I’m them, I’m using him to try to control the game and run the football," Keith Butler said. "They should be able to do that because they are a good football team, but it is a great challenge for us in trying to stop him. Not only him, but several more players they that have speed and good agility that are good athletes. It is going to be a challenge for us defensively to stop these guys."

But the Steelers feel their team defensive speed is one of their best attributes.

From inside linebacker Devin Bush to Dupree to All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers have some of the fastest players in the NFL at their respective positions.

"The key word is speed. We're very fast," said Watt. "You have guys that have been in the system a few times now. Devin has been in the system for a full year. Just being able to play a lot faster and play off of each other. Getting Tuitt back in the fold is big time for us upfront. This is my fourth year with him as well so knowing how we play off each other in pass rush and run stopping. We're going to be a very fast defense. We're going to have great pursuit, and we're going to get the ball out."

THE TEN DATA POINTS

• The Steelers are 16-2 on Monday Night Football under Tomlin, including winning their last nine in a row.

• The Steelers went from 313 yards passing per game in 2018 to 186.3 yards per game in 2019, the largest single-season decline in NFL history.

• Jones was under pressure on 41.7 percent of his dropbacks last season. Only the Jets' Sam Darnold (42.1 percent) was pressured more.

• The Giants allowed an average of 144.8 total yards per game -- rushing and receiving -- to opposing running backs in 2019.

• Giants' slot cornerback Logan Ryan, signed last week, allowed an NFL-high 69 receptions and 766 yards last season with the Titans, the most of all cornerbacks who played at least 50 percent of their snaps in the slot.

• This will be the Steelers' sixth consecutive season opening on the road. They are 2-2-1 in the previous five and 31-18-3 overall. That includes a 7-5-1 record under Tomlin.

• A win by the Steelers would tie them with San Francisco for the most victories (49) in Monday Night Football history.

• Tomlin and Roethlisberger need one victory to match Don Shula and Dan Marino (116) for the third-most for a head coach and quarterback combination in NFL history.

• The Steelers have recorded at least one sack in 57 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the NFL. The next closest team is Carolina with 30. That's also the sixth-longest streak in NFL history and can match the 1984-87 Raiders for fifth place with a sack in this game.

• Steelers cornerback Joe Haden's 27 career interceptions are tied with the Ravens' Marcus Peters for ninth most among active players. The 49ers' Richard Sherman leads that list with 35.

FANTASY CORNER

As I did last year, I'm going to build a fantasy lineup using Draft Kings and a $50,000 salary cap. Last year, we did OK with some solid lineups. We'll see if we can keep it going this year.

Quarterback: Tyrod Taylor, Chargers ($5,600) -- I like Taylor to run for 30 or 40 yards in addition to posting solid passing numbers against the Bengals. And I'm going to stack him with Austin Ekeler, who should catch a good number of passes against the Cincinnati linebackers.

Running back: James Conner, Steelers ($6,600), Austin Ekeler, Chargers ($7,000) -- Conner is healthy, so you roll with him in a game against a soft Giants defense. He should have his way with the Giants' linebackers. I like the rare QB-RB stack with Ekeler because of his pass catching ability.

Wide receiver: Marquise Brown, Ravens ($5,100), D.J. Chark, Jaguars ($6,300), D.J. Moore, Panthers, ($6,600) -- I went with Brown because the Browns are going to have to commit the safeties to stopping the run and that could allow Brown to get behind them for a deep one. Chark and the Jaguars should be behind and Chark could clean up in garbage time. I love Moore this week working against the secondary of the Raiders. He should feast.

Tight end: Hayden Hurst, Falcons ($4,300) -- I would have loved to have spent up here for George Kittle or another high-end tight end, but Hurst should be solid in his first game with the Falcons in what could be a shootout.

Flex: Boston Scott, Eagles ($4,800) -- With Miles Sanders out this week, Scott will get the start for the Eagles. He's a nice value here. When he had to step into the lineup in 2019, he produced.

Defense: Bills ($3,700) -- I think the Steelers defense will have a big day, but they were just out of my price range. The Bills should control the Jets offense.

Our football staff predicts the game:

Dale Lolley: If you just based this off last year's stats, it would look like the Giants might have a chance. But you can't look at anything the Steelers did offensively in 2019 without Roethlisberger and carry it over. Their offense will look much different, not only from a personnel standpoint, but in terms of the pre-snap motion and other wrinkles added during the offseason. The biggest difference is the infusion of speed with Chase Claypool, Eric Ebron and Anthony McFarland. The Giants made few changes on defense and, while the defensive line is solid, the second and third levels are among the NFL's worst. The Steelers should take advantage of that. And they'll force Jones into some mistakes with their pressure. Steelers, 27-13

Christopher Carter: The Giants have a tall order of working with an offensive line that's still getting used to each other in front of a second-year quarterback in Jones under a new head coach. All that with no rookie camp for players such as rookie tackle Thomas do not add up well against a defense that's led the NFL in sacks for three seasons and in turnovers for 2019. Combine that with a questionable Giants defense to Roethlisberger's return and you have a recipe for a solid Steelers win. Steelers, 26-9

Ramon Foster: I’ve got Steelers, easy. I hate to say it, but ... Jones still has to prove it to me. Who’s he throwing to there now? Golden Tate, if he plays? And he’s going against Haden and Steven Nelson on the outside of this secondary? All those guys coming at him up front? There’s just too much there, both defensively and offensively, for New York to handle. I could be wrong, because everybody’s a little raw right now coming out of camp with no action. But I see Pittsburgh taking this. Steelers, 27-7

Tom Reed: Nobody knows what to expect in an opener like no other, but the Steelers have a few key advantages. They are a veteran team with a seasoned coach welcoming back an established quarterback. Meanwhile, Judge will be making his head coaching debut without the benefit of any preseason. Containing Barkley will be key to stopping the Giants, but Engram is also a concern. For the Steelers, all eyes will be on Roethlisberger and whether the red-zone offense — brutal a season ago — will improve with Claypool and Ebron. Steelers, 24-14

Dejan Kovacevic: If we're being blunt, it's been a summer-long tiptoe about these Steelers, almost entirely because of unwarranted uncertainty regarding Roethlisberger. He's fine. And with his return, the additions of Claypool, Ebron and Matt Canada, the offense will be fine, too. The defense will be at least in the range of what it was in 2019, when it was the NFL's best. So what am I missing here? That the Giants can execute their passing game about as well as they can defend the opponents' passing game? Come on. Steelers, 38-10