Get to Know Buffalo Bills Week 5 Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
By Adam Hayward
The Buffalo Bills were able to bounce back following their first loss of the season, beating the Baltimore Ravens on their home turf 23-20. A furious comeback defined their victory with Josh Allen leading the way after his team was down 20-3 late in the second quarter.
The Bills will face another team from the AFC North, as the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town for Week 5. Pittsburgh owns the all-time series with a record of 17-11 and they met Buffalo last year at the start of the 2021 season, beating them at home 23-18. This would be a great opportunity for the Bills to get their revenge from last year, and even the odds.
It’s safe to say that the Steelers are having a disappointing start to their season; their record so far is 1-3, and they’re missing the reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt due to injury. As it stands right now, the Steelers are ranked 30th in offense and 24th in defense.
How will Kenny Pickett fare against the Buffalo Bills?
On Tuesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin named rookie Kenny Pickett as the starting quarterback against the Bills, thus marking his first career start. Tomlin believed that doing so would give his team “a spark”. Taking over the reins from the previous starter Mitch Trubisky, Pickett will be the new single-caller lining up for Pittsburgh under center.
Pickett got his first bit of action against the New York Jets in Week 4, having replaced Trubisky in the second half. While he went 10/13 for 120 yards and rushed for two touchdowns, he did throw three costly picks. However, the rookie quarterback out of the University of Pittsburgh helped revitalize the Steelers’ offense a bit, as he was able to make the most of the Steelers’ lackluster offensive line and put his team in a position to win.
Obviously, the Bills are a different beast compared to the Jets, and so Picket will have his work cut out for him. He’ll be facing one of the best defenses in the NFL, despite the injury bug that has plagued that side of the ball. Given the woes of the Steelers’ offensive line, the Bills will have Pickett running for his life in his first NFL start.
