Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Running the football and stopping the run was the top priority for Pittsburgh and these stats prove it.
Sunday marked what might be a huge turning point for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It might have been only a 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints but it was the most complete game the Steelers had played since the first game of the season. We’ve had a chance to pour over the stats from the game and here are four that really stood out.
Najee Harris had his best game of the 2022 season on Sunday.
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Sunday marked a breakout performance for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris. After struggling for much of the season, Harris showed new life on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints in the team’s 20-10 win and ran with an energy and vision we hadn’t seen all season on his way to 99 rushing yards.
Why such a sudden improvement? There probably wasn’t a singular reason but it was interesting to note when Harris spoke to the media after the game he talked about the changing of the culture of the entire franchise and how this is helping.
What exactly does that mean? It’s hard to say but one can speculate. Pittsburgh seems to be must more physical on Sunday on both sides of the ball and seemed far more prepared and disciplined. All things that can be attributed to a team taking preparation more seriously and with more professionalism. Will it continue? That remains to be seen.
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Kazee says T.J. Watt gave him chills on the field.
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Sunday was the regular-season debut of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee. Kazee had missed the entire season recovering from a broken arm but got back just in time to get his first game action with teammate T.J. Watt in the 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Kazee was put into the starting lineup late because of Minkah Fitzpatrick’s unexpected appendicitis, so his activation to the roster was a stroke of exceptional timing. Kazee made the most of it with an interception.
After the game, Kazee talked about his first chance to play with Watt and how impressed he was with him and the impact he had on the entire stadium.
“I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s a different animal.’ And I just knew, and he started pumping the crowd up, and everybody’s screaming,” Kazee said. “He gave me chills on the field.”
With Fitzpatrick out for multiple games, Kazee should have plenty of chances to not only play with Watt but make big plays himself. Kazee was signed as a free agent in part because of his physical nature, and it was on full display on Sunday.
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Who stepped up and who struggled this week?
On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers got back on track with a 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints. This was the type of game that gives the fans throwback vibes to those physical Steelers teams of old that played stiff defense and offered up a physical rushing attack. Here are the winners and losers from this week’s game.
The Steelers run game was dominant on Sunday.
Here are our big takeaways from the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Najee Harris had a breakout game on Sunday versus the Saints.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers took full advantage of the bye week, and the changes made were obvious on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The Steelers used a combination of power running from running back Najee Harris and an opportunistic defense to pull off the 20-10 win and improve to 3-6.
After having zero runs of 20 yards or more on the season, Pittsburgh got four on Sunday, and the changes to the run offense were obvious and inspiring. Harris finished with 99 yards rushing, and Jaylen Warren chipped in with 37. Quarterback Kenny Pickett ran for 51 yards and a touchdown, and even the wide receivers were involved in the ground game. All in all, Pittsburgh rushed for 217 yards with six different players getting carries.
Defensively, Pittsburgh picked off Saints quarterback Andy Dalton twice and sacked him twice. The team welcomed linebacker T.J. Watt back into the lineup, and fellow OLB Alex Highsmith reaped the rewards of lighter blocking assignments.
The win improves the Steelers’ record to 3-6 with eight games to play. Next week the Steelers welcome the Cincinnati Bengals to town with a chance to sweep the season series.
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Pittsburgh is minus two starters this week versus New Orleans.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without starting safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon against the New Orleans Saints this week.
Fitzpatrick was a late scratch due to appendicitis. Fitzpatrick underwent an appendectomy on Saturday and will miss multiple games.
Check out the full list of inactives for both teams below.
#Steelers vs #Saints Week 10 Inactives. #HereWeGo #PITvsNO pic.twitter.com/cVUatmjcfz
— Steelers Wire (@TheSteelersWire) November 13, 2022
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Fewer turnover and more aggression on both sides of the football is a must this weekend.
Despite being two-point underdogs, Sunday’s game with the New Orleans Saints is very winnable for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both teams have played well below expectations this season with the Steelers at 2-6 and the Saints at 3-6. The game is in Pittsburgh and that’s why we like the Steelers in this one. Here are our keys to victory.
Here is all the info you need to be sure you don’t miss this week’s game.
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Here is everything you need to know so you can watch, listen to or stream this week’s Pittsburgh Steelers game. Pittsburgh is back from its bye week and welcomes the New Orleans Saints to town. Both teams have underperformed this season but want to kick off the second half of the year with a win. Pittsburgh finally gets outside linebacker T.J. Watt back from IR but will be without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Here is everything you need so you don’t miss a minute of the action.
Announcers: Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth
Online: You can also tune in online with NFL+ and FuboTV (try it for free).
Radio: Westwood One and Steeler Nation Radio will have the game, as well as WDVE 102.5 FM & WBGG 970, AM local.
You can also follow the game with us @TheSteelersWire and of course here on Steelers Wire with our live updates during the game, along with highlights of all the key moments from this week’s game. Join us straight after the final whistle for more in-depth coverage, injury updates, and analysis of all the action.
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Here are the five Steelers who must step up this week.
After having a full week off, the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to kick off the second half of the season against the New Orleans Saints. Here are the five Steelers we will be keeping a close eye on this week.
