Bewerbungen » Falcons vs. Steelers: Will Pittsburgh get out of its fun

k against Atlanta? The Steelers are hosting the Falcons this week 2019 Chris Lindstrom Jersey , and to help us figure out what’s up with Pittsburgh, we asked five questions of Behind the Steel Curtain’s Jeff Hartman. We hope you enjoy his not terribly encouraging answers. Dave Choate: The Steelers offense still looks scary, but it’s a little surprising how Antonio Brown’s season has gone thus far. Will he have better luck against this Falcons defense, and is it just sort of a fluke?Jeff Hartman: You get the feeling the Roethlisberger to Brown connection is just waiting to explode. When you watch the tape, this isn’t about Brown. Brown is still seeing coverages roll over to his side, and double teams happening as much as they ever have. The difference is Roethlisberger. He hasn’t had the best start and is coming off a really bad game. Roethlisberger rarely has back-to-back duds, so I would expect a bounce back game in Week 5. This would also mean improved numbers for Brown as well.Dave Choate: Minus Le’Veon Bell, should the Falcons fear your ground game? Any success throwing passes to running backs, since that has been killing Atlanta of late? Jeff Hartman: There isn’t much to fear because the Steelers have been playing from behind almost every week, meaning they are having to throw their way back into games. With that said Chris Lindstrom Atlanta Falcons Jersey , the offensive line is still one of the best in the league when healthy, and James Conner has proven capable. He isn’t Le’Veon Bell, but he certainly is capable as both a runner and receiver. Dave Choate: The Steelers defense does not look good on paper at the moment. Who is worth watching out for, and if you’re the Steelers, what is your plan for keeping Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in check? Jeff Hartman: The Steelers defense doesn’t just look bad on paper, they don’t look good on the field either. If you are going to focus on a few players, they would reside in the front 7. Primarily Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree. If the Steelers can get pressure on Matt Ryan, that is how they plan on slowing down the passing attack. If they can’t get to Ryan Cheap Chris Lindstrom Jersey , expect Ryan to have any number of receiving options open for him to throw to.Dave Choate: Mind giving us one player on either side of the ball the average NFL fan isn’t familiar with who might impact the outcome of this game? Jeff Hartman: After the stiff-arm heard round the world, Vance McDonald’s name has become a little more known, but Ben Roethlisberger has developed a good connection with the big tight end. There is a good chance McDonald’s role in the offense continues to grow, if he can stay on the field. Defensively, keep an eye on whether Vince Williams, ILB, plays or not. Williams is a downhill thumper, but is dealing with a hamstring injury. If he isn’t in the lineup, a mixture of Tyler Matakevich, L.J. Fort and UDFA rookie Matthew Thomas could all pitch in at a position already ridiculously thin.Dave Choate: Who wins this game Black Takkarist McKinley Jersey , and can the Steelers emerge from the AFC North? Jeff Hartman: I still have faith in this Steelers team. No one expected the defense to be a Top 5 unit, but no one also expected it to be this bad. I don’t believe the poor play is the new norm, but a mean between their best and worst is the new expectation. On offense, there have been some hiccups, and they miss Le’Veon Bell terribly. However, it will be tough road to climb to win the AFC North for a third straight time. Three divisional games out of their next 4 will be a true measuring stick for their spot in the division. In a battle of under-performing teams, I like the Steelers at home, just because I know how they rarely play poorly in consecutive weeks -- especially at home. Steelers - 38Falcons - 35 FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons brought back two familiar names on Tuesday by hiring Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator and Mike Mularkey to coach tight ends.Koetter and Mularkey are joining coach Dan Quinn’s staff following stints as NFL head coaches.Koetter returns to Atlanta following four seasons as Tampa Bay’s coach. Mularkey most recently spent two seasons as the Tennessee Titans‘ coach, and also has been the head coach at Buffalo and Jacksonville.Each has had previous success running the Atlanta offense with quarterback Matt Ryan. Mularkey was Ryan’s first offensive coordinator in 2008-11. Koetter directed the Falcons’ offense from 2012-14.Quinn said he was “fired up” to have Koetter take over the offense.“His experience and familiarity with our division will also pay dividends as we move forward Kaleb McGary Jersey 2019 ,” Quinn said in a statement.Koetter replaces Steve Sarkasian, who was fired following the Falcons’ 7-9 season. Quinn also fired defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong and tight ends coach Wade Harman. Quinn is taking over the defense.Koetter was fired by Tampa Bay following a 5-11 finish this season, which ended with a 34-32 loss to the Falcons. He was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach in January 2016. He led the Bucs to a 9-7 record that year before back-to-back 5-11 finishes.Koetter continued to guide the Buccaneers‘ offense as coach. Tampa Bay led the league with 294.4 yards passing per game during his three seasons.The Falcons struggled with inconsistency on offense this season, Sarkasian’s second with the team, as they failed to extend a streak of two straight playoff appearances. Injuries played a role as running back Devonta Freeman and both starting guards were placed on injured reserve.The Falcons scored no more than 20 points in a stretch of five straight losses that ended their playoff hopes. They closed the season with an offensive resurgence in three straight wins, but it wasn’t enough to save Sarkasian’s job.Before his time in Atlanta, Koetter was Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator from 2007-11.In Koetter’s first three-year stint in Atlanta, the Falcons averaged 24.0 points to rank 10th in the league. They were fourth in the league in passing during that span.Mularkey led the Titans to 9-7 finishes in both 2016 and 2017. He was fired following a divisional-round playoff loss to New England.“Mike brings over 20 years of experience in our league as a former play-caller, head coach and as a player Kaleb McGary Atlanta Falcons Jersey , and we are pleased to have him join our staff,” Quinn said. “He has a good feel for our offense, both in the run game and the pass game, and we feel he will be able to add to the strengths of our tight ends group as we head into 2019.”