The Denver Broncos will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the next 24 hours in their home opener for Week 2 of the NFL season. What are three matchups that Broncos fans should keep their eyes on when watching or attending Sunday’s game?
Denver Broncos must win their key matchups vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
If the Denver Broncos are going to come out of Sunday’s game with a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they’ll have to win some of these matchups to have the best shot.
Patrick Surtain II vs. George Pickens
Patrick Surtain II will likely follow George Pickens around in Sunday’s game. Pickens seemingly downplayed the matchup ahead of this week.
“I went against Pat Surtain in college, so a lot of this stuff isn’t new for me,” Pickens said. “He’s just a good player, just like a lot of other players in here are good players — I’m a good player. There’s a lot of good players around the league.”
Surtain on the other hand acknowledged the talent Pickens possesses.
“I think he has elite body control in the air,” Surtain said. “He can track the ball well. He has great ball skills. He’s a playmaker for sure. He’s a great player.”
Surtain has the length, physicality, and athleticism to challenge Pickens on downfield routes, and this will be a key matchup on Sunday.
Broncos offensive tackles against T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith
Garett Bolles will play in Sunday’s game against the Steelers and Denver’s offensive line will be intact. That doesn’t eliminate the threat or challenge of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on the outside, combined with Cam Heyward’s presence on the interior.
It’s nearly impossible to block Watt one-on-one, and Highsmith is just as capable of creating havoc for opposing quarterbacks. We’ll see if Denver comes out in more 12 or 13 personnel this week to try and mitigate the impact they have.
Courtland Sutton vs. Joey Porter Jr.
After seeing 12 targets last week, Courtland Sutton will look to help Bo Nix bounce back this upcoming week. Joey Porter Jr. will likely cover Sutton wherever he goes, and Minkah Fitzpatrick will likely lurk inside or over the top to provide extra help. With rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele out of the mix, it’s imperative that Denver has a better plan at spreading the production out and getting the run game going to try and open up the passing game against Pittsburgh’s ultra-aggressive defense.
