How the Bills plan to counter the Steelers in Week 1

When the Pittsburgh Steelers play a team like the Buffalo Bills, an AFC rival, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the matchup, despite the familiarity.

Sure, fans know the big name players from their conference foe, but a lot can change from one year to the next.

With that said, I reached out to Buffalo Rumblings’ contributor Corey Giacovelli and asked him a series of questions about the upcoming game. He was more than generous to provide answers to these questions, and in this article I asked him out the Bills’ plan to counter the Steelers in Week 1.

How will Josh Allen and company try to move the ball against the stout Steelers defense, and how will the Bills’ defense attempt to slow down Ben Roethlisberger and Najee Harris?

Check out his answers below, and be sure to follow Buffalo Rumblings for the latest news and notes from the other side of the fence leading up to the game at 1 p.m. ET.

When the Bills have the ball, how will they try to move the ball?

Feed the ball to Stefon Diggs as much as possible. Diggs was the difference last season catching 10 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Whenever Josh Allen needed him most, Diggs was on the opposite end of a catch and giving momentum to the offense. It was only a two point game at halftime last season. When the Bills came out for the first drive of the second half, Diggs had four catches on eight plays, including the touchdown that swung the momentum. Up front, a lot of what the offensive line tries to do will depend on the status of T.J. Watt due to the uncertainty of him playing on Sunday.

When the Steelers have the ball, how will the Bills’ defense attempt to stop Ben Roethlisberger and company?

It will be interesting to see what the game plan for the defense will be come Sunday. Last season, they were able to go with an approach preventing the passing game given the state of the offense at the time. However, this year the Steelers have added rookie running back Najee Harris so it should be a more balanced approach from the Steelers offense. Usually defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier looks to disguise and bring a lot of blitzes which I feel could have a lot of impact on the game.

How do you see this game shaking out? Let us know in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the upcoming Week 1 game.