4 Down Territory: Week 1 vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Photo from Steelersdepot.com

A common theme for experts and amateur content creators is to give their fans the "keys" to look for in a game.  So, keeping with that theme, Hashtag Sports has 4 things that you should look for in today's matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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First Down: Slot Sanders

While a lot of people this offseason praised the signing of Emmanuel Sanders as the heir apparent to John Brown (who was a cap casualty), don't be surprised if the role of Sanders is to play primarily in the slot.  With the emergence of Gabriel Davis last year as an outside option across from Stefon Diggs, look for Sanders to be a safety blanket for Josh Allen, similar to a tight end. He has a wealth of knowledge playing with the likes of Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethelisberger and his experience will come in handy as Dawson Knox and Tommy Sweeney learn their roles. 

​Photo from Buffalo News

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Second Down: Game Time

With how explosive the Buffalo Bills were in 2020, teams that hope to compete with them have to limit the possessions and shorten the game.  Enter Najee Harris.  The 2020 First Round Pick will be instrumental for the Steelers to pull off a victory at One Bills Drive today.  If the Steelers hope to win, look for them to use Harris a lot.  Even though the Steelers have the Tiktok twins of Juju Smith-Shuster and Chase Claypool, they will have to limit Buffalo's possessions, and to do that, they need Harris to have a big day. 
Photo from Steelers Wire

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Third Down: Turn Down for Watt

Last season Defensive Player of the Year candidate TJ Watt (who comes into Buffalo as the latest edition to the 100 million dollar club with his four year extension) had a forgettable day against the Bills on December 13th.  Watt had a pedestrian day recording 2 tackles and 2 QB hits. being primarily lined up against Daryl Williams.  The Steelers, and Defensive Coordinator Keith Butler felt that Watt could win a one-on-one matchups with Williams easily but that was not the case, so expect Watt to be moved all across the line today.  
Photo from Bills Wire

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Fourth Down: 623 Days

The last regular season game for the Buffalo Bills where the stadium was at full capacity was against the New York Jets on December 29th, 2019.  With the expectation for the Buffalo Bills in 2021 after two decades of futility, and the angst to watch this team play live, don't be surprised if some of the Steeler players comment about this being one of the toughest places to play, setting the tone for the Buffalo Bills in the 2021 Season.  

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