BB.BREAKING NEWS: Steelers OC Arthur Smith must fix last week’s disaster if Pittsburgh hopes to shock the Bills on Sunday
Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Steelers are now in must-win mode. An AFC matchup against one of the better teams in the conference, the Steelers are no longer first in the AFC North with the Ravens surging as winners of five in a row.
The Buffalo Bills come in as heavy favorites, but this is traditionally a game the Steelers win. At home, as and underdog and in a big spot, say what you want about Mike Tomlin, but his teams tend to rise to the occasion. To prepare for what Sunday could look like, I spoke with Adam Zientek of A to Z Sports Buffalo to identify areas the Steelers can exploit. It was clear that Arthur Smith and the offense needed to stick with the run game, something they failed to do last week.
What’s going on with Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense?
“The Buffalo Bills just haven’t found their identity on offense, or rather their identity can sometimes be too predictable and “cute” as head coach Sean McDermott might call it. When the Bills get behind and can’t utilize James Cook in the run game appropriately, Buffalo struggles to have the passing attack needed to bounce back in games where they fall too behind. It’s clear that the team is lacking a true No. 1 threat for Josh Allen, as sometimes he’s forced to try and do too much.
The protection up front, especially pass protection, has left much to be desired which results in Allen scrambling for his life and trying to make something out of nothing. Anytime No. 17 is at quarterback, the team still has a chance to win, but lately it’s been all up to Allen to deliver magic and that’s just not sustainable. It was a tough task against Houston’s defense, who came ready to play, and in the loss against Miami, they just flat-out wanted it more. However, the team did look phenomenal on offense against the Bucs, which is the version of the team fans are hoping they get on Sunday.”
– Zientek
What has caused the regression on the Bills’ defense?
“Injuries are the biggest issue with the Bills’ defense right now, especially to the defensive front. Both Ed Oliver and Michael Hoecht have been lost for the season, and it had an immediate impact on the success of the defensive front. While the team is generating pressures up front, they can’t stop the run to save their lives, allowing teams to gash them on the ground and work their way down the field. Players are forced to play a little banged up at this point of the season, and it shows with their inability to get after the ball carrier.
Missed tackles and self-inflicted wounds with lack of gap integrity has hurt the team down the stretch. However, it’s important to note that even in the contest against the Texans, the defense wound up taking a stand in the second half. After Sean McDermott helped take over playcalling duties, the team has looked decent in their second-half adjustments.” – Zientek
Final score prediction
This’ll be a tight contest that comes down to the defense. While it’s not the same test that Houston presented, Pittsburgh will look to mimic the success that Houston had in shutting down Josh Allen. As of right now, it’s looking like both starting tackles are hurt for Buffalo, which doesn’t help their chances especially considering the issues in pass protection. It’ll be a game that rests on the shoulders of Josh Allen, and after such a heartbreaking defeat in the last game, Buffalo bounces back in a big way on the shoulders of another monster day from No. 17.
Bills: 32 Steelers: 24. – Zientek.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Nov 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
