A pair of players on the Washington Football Team no one is talking about who could impact the outcome vs. the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Football Team play in Week 13, and the battle between these two franchises certainly has a lot of headlines swirling around it.

Washington has been through three quarterbacks this season, and now have Alex Smith calling the plays for the Football Team.

The Steelers’ running game, or lack thereof, has been a talking point among the fan base this week. Can they get Benny Snell Jr. going early and often?

Ben Roethlisberger is listed as questionable, will he be able to play Monday?

Among those story lines are players who aren’t talked about often, but can certainly play a role in the outcome of the game. This week I was fortunate enough to ask Hog Haven’s contributor Andrew York several questions leading up to the big game Sunday.

One of those questions was if he could give me a player who isn’t being talked about, but could play a big role in who wins and loses the game. He didn’t disappoint and gave two players Steelers fans should become acquainted with heading into Week 13.

A lot of people have been talking about Chase Young, but not enough have been talking about Montez Sweat, the defensive end who plays opposite Young. He was a 1st round pick in last year’s draft and has had a very good season so far, with 6 sacks, 13 QB hits, and 7 TFLs in 11 games played. Part of his breakout has been due to the attention Young demands, but Sweat has also been consistently beating his 1-on-1 matchups and playing with intensity until the final whistle is blown. His technique also improved a lot between last year and this one, so I think he’s going to be a great player for years to come. His stats would probably be better if we had better LB coverage to deny those short, quick passes.

Any Washington fan will also want to answer this question with our punter Tress Way. Tress has been one of the NFL’s best punters for a few years now and he gets plenty of practice due to our offense the past few years. He’s got a tremendous leg and currently has the 5th highest yards/punt on the season (as well as the 3rd highest net yards/punt, indicating he doesn’t outkick his coverage).

The Steelers will have their hands full with the Washington pass rush, and Sweat will certainly put the Pittsburgh offensive line to the test. The Steelers haven’t surrendered a sack of Ben Roethlisberger since their Week 8 game vs the Baltimore Ravens, but Washington currently tied for second in the NFL with 36 sacks on the season.

While there are plenty of players who can have an impact on the upcoming game, these players will be highlighted by Pittsburgh, and their fans, during the Week 11 showdown.

For the best news on the opposition, check out Hogs Haven, and stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers leading up to the 5:00 p.m. kickoff at Heinz Field.