EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Pittsburgh Steelers walked into New York expecting a slugfest that could work in their favor as they reworked their entire defense to stop the run.
The Baltimore Ravens ran for 299 rushing yards against them in a 28-14 thrashing in the Wild Card Round, spurring the Steelers to change their fortunes.
Their entire draft strategy showcased that very thing. The Steelers drafted Derrick Harmon in the first round, Jack Sawyer in the fourth round, and Yahya Black in the fifth round. Head coach Mike Tomlin noted multiple times that the team felt they had to ‘retool their physicality’ throughout the offseason.
If that is what they wanted to do, their Week 1 game against the Jets could not have been further from what they wanted to happen.
The positive is that