When the Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) and the New York Jets (1-0) face off at Heinz Field at 4:15 p.m. ET today, both teams will be out to prove something to the rest of the NFL. This game is about as important as early season contests can get.
The Steelers will be looking to rebound from a rough loss to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos last Sunday night. For Pittsburgh, this is a chance to face another potential contender in the AFC and show that its defense is up to the task and its offense is building on a mostly successful first week.
For the Jets, coming off a drubbing of the Buffalo Bills, this is a chance to prove themselves as contenders against an AFC heavyweight that almost always makes the playoffs. The Jets will be looking to show off their offense once again and will hope that their defense can contain Pittsburgh.
The Steelers and Jets will each be without some key players in this game. For Pittsburgh, Troy Polamalu and James Harrison will be out of action. That's a significant blow to a defense coming off of a very poor performance and facing charges once again of being too old. The Steelers will have to hope that replacements can rise to the challenge and prove Coach Mike Tomlin's "next man up" philosophy.
The Jets will have to face a trio of star Pittsburgh receivers without cornerback Darrelle Revis. As with Pittsburgh's injuries, this is a big absence. Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown each can command two sets of eyes. Revis is one of the league's best shutdown corners. Without him, the Jets will be under tremendous pressure.
The stakes for Pittsburgh are huge. The Steelers have not started 0-2 on the season since 2002 and with both Cincinnati and Baltimore looking like contenders again this year, cannot afford to do so now. The Steelers will also be looking to get some revenge on Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow, who beat them last year during the playoffs as a starter in Denver.
Keep checking back as we get closer to game time for injury reports, keys to the game and other analysis. Then keep this page up during the game for live analysis and thoughts.
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