Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills: 5 Key Matchups to Watch Out for as Steelers’ Defense Attempts to Hold a Red-Hot Josh Allen Without Injured T.J. Watt

Josh Allen and the Bills will seek to crush the Steelers on Sunday. We have the excitement of the playoff game itself. Then we also have these little rivalries playing out during the main game. And for hardcore fans of the game, this is where the true thrill lies! Anyone can watch the points put up by the team and cheer for them. But not everyone understands the nuances of these micro matchups.

On Sunday, there are some matchups that everyone should watch out for? Amidst this, there is also good news for Josh Allen, who will be spared his arch-nemesis.

Who will take on Josh Allen in TJ Watt’s absence?

It looks like the Bills Mafia can breathe a sigh of relief. Their feared enemy, TJ Watt, has been ruled out of the game. Why? He tore his MCL in a previous game and is recovering. He’s the leader in terms of sacks in the league. And he’s not just done it once this year. Watt has done it three times in a row! Josh Allen rightly fears him.

But now that he won’t be there, does that mean Allen will be challenged? Not so easily. “I know they ruled Watt out but that doesn’t mean that we’re in the clear,” Allen had said himself. It seems like a beast will replace the monster. Cam Heyward will man the O-line to sack Allen. “He’s an animal,” Allen said about him.

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Heyward has 80.5 sacks over his entire career. And the Bills QB is not taking him lightly. What about the other rivalries?

What are the four other matchups to watch out for?

Allen must keep his sacks to a minimum. And OL Dion Dawkins will be protecting him. In turn, to neutralize Dawkins, LB Alex Highsmith will have his eyes firmly on him. The two heavyweights (pun intended) will literally be going head-to-head. Unfortunately for the Bills, wideout Gabe Davis has been ruled out for the game. WR Khalil Shakir might fill in for him in his position. Who will he have to fend off? CB Chandon Sullivan. He’s currently the 79th best CB in the league. Shakir, on the other hand, has had great momentum this year. Will he continue to keep it going on Sunday?

The matchup between LB Terrel Bernard and RB Najee Harris will not exactly be head-to-head. But Harris will be scrambling with the ball a lot on Sunday. And it might just be Bernard and his team’s task to shut him down completely. The Steelers will be playing with their backup QB Mason Rudolph. He will have to face the mighty Ed Oliver. He currently leads his team in terms of sacks at 9.5. Will he manage to stop Rudolph?

The Steelers will take on the Bills at Highmark Stadium, New York on January 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

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