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The Pittsburgh Steelers host the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium in Week 4. Both teams are coming off Week 3 losses and surely want to break back into the win column. Here are our Steelers Week 4 predictions as they take on the Jets.
The Jets failed to build on their Week 2 comeback victory, falling 27-12 to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.
As for the Steelers, they also failed to deliver. On Thursday Night Football, the Black and Yellow were defeated, 29-17, by the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh generated only 308 total offensive yards while controlling the ball for only 39.8 percent of the game.
With that in mind, here are our four bold predictions for the Steelers in their Week 4 game against the Jets.
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4. Pat Freiermuth puts up 60+ receiving yards
Pat Freiermuth was underutilized by Mitch Trubisky in Week 3, though he did have two big catches in the second half. He caught two passes for a total of 41 yards and a long of 26. Look for him to put up numbers closer to what he had in Week 1. That's when he torched the Bengals for 75 yards on five catches and a long of 31.
Looking ahead, while the Jets have been pretty tough on enemy tight ends, Freiermuth should be a strong contender to make a big impact on the Steelers' offense. He should record 60+ receiving yards on a handful of catches and get his second touchdown of the season, too.
3. Diontae Johnson leads Steelers in targets and receiving yards
Diontae Johnson grabbed eight of 11 targets for 84 yards and recovered a fumble in the Steelers' defeat against the Browns last week. Johnson led the Steelers in receptions, receiving yards, and targets while also setting new season highs in each category.
💪 @ohthatsNajee22 💪
📺 #NYJvsPIT Sunday at 1 PM ET on CBS pic.twitter.com/eEaFtYzhMZ
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 29, 2022
Despite the Steelers' quarterback change after Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, the third-year wideout has maintained a good amount of workload. Johnson, in fact, now has 33 targets through three games. He is actually coming off his best game so far, lodging 10.5 yards per catch against the Browns. All signs point to him continuing to lead the Steelers in targets, receptions, and receiving yards again in Week 4.
2. Najee Harris cracks 80-yard threshold
Pittsburgh intends to rely on its Najee Harris-led ground game to relieve the pressure on beleaguered QB Mitch Trubisky. However, the Steelers' run game has yet to prove successful. Harris, in fact, ranks fifth-worst among 42 qualified running backs with only 3.2 yards per carry.
Right now, truthfully, it actually seems that Harris deserves more blame than the offensive line. Keep in mind that the Steelers perform highly in a few run-blocking measures. They rank 14th in Pro Football Focus' run-blocking grade (62.1) and 13th in adjusted line yards per carry (4.48).
Meanwhile, Harris's personal metrics are not so promising. Out of 42 qualified running backs, Harris ranks 36th in missed tackles forced per carry (0.15) and 34th in yards after contact per carry (2.5).
Having said that, Harris's rushing numbers are on an upward swing. His total yards and yards per carry have increased week on week, and it should continue against the Jets. Put Harris up for a big leap this week as he breaks the 80-yard rushing threshold.
1. Mitch Trubisky continues to start
We cannot really blame Pittsburgh fans for yelling for Kenny Pickett to trot into Acrisure Stadium and replace Trubisky as the starter. Pickett, after all, is a local favorite and performed well in the preseason. Trubisky, meanwhile, has groped for form.
Mike Tomlin's answer following last Thursday's loss to the Browns, however, could not be any clearer: “Definitively no.”
Keep in mind that the Steelers aren't a panic-prone organization despite the fact that Trubisky's glaring flaws are staring them in the face. For instance, he makes plays outside the pocket, but he still misses wide-open targets. Against the Browns, Pittsburgh converted just 1-of-9 third-down tries. This contributed to the defense tiring out over 36-plus minutes on the field.
Remember also that Trubisky is averaging 5.5 yards per attempt, the lowest of any quarterback who has played three full games this season. He hasn't been bold enough in his downfield throws and the offense lacks rhythm.
However, it falls on more than just Trubisky. Many of the offensive issues are also rooted in the play calling and the work-in-progress offensive line. There was at least one sign of life for an otherwise disappointing offensive start: Trubisky completed 9-of-13 for 109 yards, including a 36-yard toss to rookie George Pickens, in the first half of the Thursday loss to the Browns.
At least for now, that seems enough for him to keep his starting spot in Week 4. If he underperforms again, though, those Kenny Pickett chants are going to get louder and louder.
