Cheat Sheet: Steelers vs. Jets

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

• TV coverage: Broadcast locally in Pittsburgh on CBS (KDKA-TV)
• Steelers Radio Network - Game coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. ET; Pregame programming begins at 9:00 a.m.; Postgame coverage starts immediately following the game.
• Don't miss a minute of the action... check out all of the ways that you can watch, listen and follow along on gameday. Click here >>>

INJURY UPDATE

The Steelers are at home at Acrisure Stadium taking on the New York Jets.
Check out the most updated Injury Report: Click here >>>

SERIES HISTORY

The first game between these two teams took place in November of 1970 with Pittsburgh prevailing in that matchup. That began a nine-game winning streak for Pittsburgh against the Jets, who finally got their first victory over the Steelers in 1988. But after falling to New York in 1988, the Steelers went on a five-game winning streak. So, Pittsburgh won 14 of these teams' first 15 meetings. The most recent matchup between the Jets and Steelers took place in 2019, with New York winning that game 16-10. But the Steelers have won four of the most recent six games. Overall, Pittsburgh leads this series 20-6, including their two postseason matchups. The Steelers won both of those playoff games against New York including the AFC Championship game following the 2010 season.

MATCHUP OVERVIEW

• The Steelers are producing 4.7 yards per play and giving up 5.1 yards every time the ball is snapped. New York generates 5.0 yards per play and has allowed 5.5 through three games.
• New York turned the football over four times in its loss against the Bengals last week and took the ball away just once. That brings the Jets' season-long turnover differential to minus-4 while the Steelers sit at plus-3.
• The Jets possessed the football for just 27:36 last week. For the season, New York averages 29:17.
• New York won in Cleveland this year in its only game away from home, but last year the Jets were 1-7 on the road.
• The Jets' opponents are scoring just under 10 more points per game than New York is producing. They've been outscored by 29 points. Only the Titans have a worse point differential in the AFC.
• Pittsburgh's opponents have produced 72 first downs. The Steelers have produced 49.
• The Steelers' opponents have run the ball 37 more times than Pittsburgh has this year and average 52.7 more rushing yards per game.
• The Steelers opponents snap the ball on average 77 times per game - the most in the league. New York's opponents run 61.3 plays per game. The Jets offense is running 74 plays per game, while Pittsburgh's offense is 58.
• Along with the Saints and Cardinals, New York is one of three teams that has had the ball trailing by double digit points in every game this year. The Jets have led on the scoreboard for one offensive snap in 2022.
• In the Jets' most recent 36 games played, they have just seven wins after going 4-13 in 2021 and 2-14 in 2020.

WHEN PITTSBURGH HAS THE BALL

• The Steelers are throwing the football 62 percent of their snaps which is right about league average.
• Of Chase Claypool's snaps, 83 percent have come out of the slot. He has been targeted six times in every game this year.
• The Jets are allowing 9.7 yards per target to opposing wide receivers (31st) as well as a league-high 12.5 percent touchdown rate.
• Last week, the Jets held Joe Mixon to 24 yards on 12 carries, and the Bengals averaged just 2.5 yards per rushing attempt. New York is holding opposing rushers to just 3.7 yards per carry.
• Mason Cole was sidelined for four plays this year, but other than that, Pittsburgh's starting offensive line has played every snap this season.
• Pittsburgh's top three wide receivers have all seen a lot of playing time this year. Diontae Johnson has played 160 of a possible 181 snaps (including plays that didn't count on the stat sheet). Claypool has been on the field for 167 snaps and Pickens for 140. No other wideout has played more than 20 plays.
• Freiermuth has been on the field for 149 snaps compared to 62 for Zach Gentry.
• Najee Harris is out-snapping Jaylen Warren 126 to 52 thus far in 2022. However, Warren averages 4.7 yards per rush, as opposed to 3.2 for Harris.
• The Jets don't have anyone on their team with more than 1.5 sacks and have only sacked opposing quarterbacks five times.
• New York blitzed Joe Burrow on 10 occasions last week. On those 10 plays, Burrow completed seven passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
• Mitch Trubisky is getting the ball out of his hands in 2.71 seconds on average, which is right about league average. He is completing 60.2 percent of his attempts, which is a little below average.
• The Jets allow eight points on average in the first quarter of games and 14.7 in the first halves of games this year. Both numbers are near the bottom of the league.
• The Steelers are producing 1.36 points per drive. Only six teams are worse.

WHEN NEW YORK HAS THE BALL

• The Jets are also playing at a very fast pace, running 2.65 plays per minute of game time. That is the fastest rate in the league.
• New York is averaging just two points scored in the first quarter of games this year.
• Joe Flacco threw 54 passes against the Bengals. Through three weeks, Joe Flacco leads the NFL in pass attempts. He's thrown at least 44 passes in each of his starts. Only five quarterbacks have thrown for more yardage than Flacco. However, Kyler Murray and Trubisky are the only two quarterbacks with a lower yards per completion.
• Zach Wilson could make his 2022 debut in Pittsburgh. During his rookie season, the second-overall pick started 13 games. He threw 9 touchdowns against 11 interceptions while throwing for 179.5 yards per game. Wilson completed 55.6 percent of his passes. His 6.1 yards per attempt was 50th of all quarterbacks that played in 2021 and his average depth of target was 30th. Wilson's 3.05 second time to throw was near the highest in the league. When Wilson was on the field, New York averaged 4.55 yards per play. That would have been last in the league over a full season.
• This is the most pass-happy team in the league, passing the ball 74.3 percent of its snaps. The Raiders are the only other team at 70 percent or higher.
• Defining explosive plays as runs of 10 yards or more and passes of 20 yards or greater, New York has only created more explosives than the Chargers and Bengals.
• Alex Highsmith leads the NFL in sacks with 4.5. Only seven teams have more sacks than Pittsburgh this year.
• Garrett Wilson left last week's game for four drives with an injury and only played 48 snaps, 39 of which came out of the slot. But Elijah Moore was on the field for 76 of the Jets 78 snaps and Corey Davis saw action for 70 plays.
• In terms of yards per route run, Wilson boasts a very impressive 1.98 compared to 1.47 for Davis and .91 by Moore.
• Tight end Tyler Conklin caught eight passes for 84 yards against the Bengals. He was on the field for 67 of a possible 78 plays last week and has played a total of 209 snaps thus far in 2020. Conklin has run 141 pass routes (80 percent) through three weeks, a very big number for a tight end. He has been targeted at least seven times in every game this year. Only two tight ends have more targets this year. But Conklin averages 1.05 yards per route run, which is on the low end for an NFL tight end.
• Wilson and Conklin lead the Jets with 18 receptions apiece. Moore has caught 12 passes and Davis has 10 receptions. In terms of targets, Wilson has been thrown to 32 times. Conklin has 24 targets. Moore has 22 and Davis has been targeted 19 times. Davis averages 18.7 yards per catch which is far and away the highest on this Jets team. Moore leads the team with a 91 percent route participation.
• Running back Michael Carter has been on the field for 131 plays this year against 97 for Breece Hall. Against the Bengals, Hall played 42 snaps and Carter saw action for 36 plays, but Hall was used on 12 of New York's 14 third-down snaps. Hall could be in line for noticeably more than the eight carries he received against Cincinnati going forward. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry, compared to 3.5 yards per rush by Carter. Hall is breaking off a run of 10 or more yards on 19 percent of his carries, which is nearly double the NFL average.
• Through three games Carter has carried the ball 28 times against 21 for Hall but has just 10 more rushing yards than the rookie. Hall averages 5.3 yards per rush against 4.4 for Carter. As pass catchers, they have pretty much split duty there as well. Carter has been targeted on 16 occasions, catching 13 of those for 74 yards. Hall has been thrown to 21 times but has also caught 13 passes. Hall has 101 receiving yards, though.
• The Steelers are allowing 4.2 yards per carry in 2022.
• Flacco targeted running backs on an incredibly high 26 percent of his pass attempts.
• Pittsburgh is employing a deep defensive line rotation. Cameron Heyward leads the way, having played 165 snaps. Larry Ogunjobi is second with 144. The next four in terms of usage are Tyson Alualu (104), Chris Wormley (86), DeMarvin Leal (46), and Montravius Adams (31).
• The Steelers defense is giving up 1.54 points per drive. That is sixth best in the league.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• The Jets punt return team averages 8.8 per return and their kickoff returners average 23.8. But New York's opponents are averaging 14 yards per punt return and 33.5 on kickoff returns. 
• Pittsburgh averages 9.5 yard per kickoff return. Their opponents average 22.4.

THE ADVANCED SCOUT PODCAST

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MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

January 23, 2011: AFC Championship Game: Steelers 24, Jets 19, Heinz Field

This home victory propelled the Steelers to Super Bowl XLV, a game they lost to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. New York was the sixth seed in the playoffs. The Jets knocked off the Colts in Indianapolis by one point and then New England, the top seed, by a touchdown, in order to advance to this game. The Jets eliminated Peyton Manning and Tom Brady before finally falling to a Ben Roethlisberger-led team that had beaten the Ravens the previous week. Pittsburgh jumped all over the Jets in this game and quickly took a 24-0 lead. This game was 24-3 at the half, but New York scored on the first drive of the half. While it got interesting down the stretch, the Steelers held on to win on the back of their running game. The Jets haven't been back to the post season since.

FACTS FROM NFL RESEARCH

• Trubisky has attempted 23.3 pct of his passes on the run in 2022; 2nd-highest in the NFL (On the run = passer is traveling 8+ MPH at pass forward)
• 33.3 pct of the Steelers pass yards have come after the catch in 2022; PIT WRs have a league-high 30 receptions from targets outside the numbers
• The Steelers have a 30.5 QB Pressure Pct
• Trubisky is averaging 9.1 air yds/attempt in 2022 (6th among QBs)

KEY MATCHUPS

Jets WR Garrett Wilson vs. Steelers CBs - Wilson is battling injury, but he very well could be a star in the making. He has unique movement skills and body control with the ability to attack a defense at all levels. Wilson operates out of the slot a high percentage of the time, but he has been more dangerous and efficient when aligned out wide. Wilson should see quite a bit of Arthur Maulet from the slot. The Steelers safeties will need to be very aware of Wilson's ability to get deep from his slot position. 

Steelers Wide Receivers vs. Jets CB Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner - As is the case with basically all rookie cornerbacks that see a lot of playing time, there have been a lot of ups and downs with the ultra-talented Gardner thus far. That was the case last week against the Bengals as well. Gardner did a commendable job last week against Ja'Marr Chase, but Cincinnati's other wide outs exploded in the meantime. It will be interesting to see if New York asks Gardner to follow Johnson Sunday.