Steelers’ Defense Faces Challenge Against Bills’ Josh Allen and James Cook

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has the difficult task of stopping Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and running back James Cook.,Despite Allen’s MVP status, his recent struggles and the Steelers’ strong pass rush could play a factor in the upcoming game.Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward referred to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen as “Superman.” Allen, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 237 pounds, is considered one of the NFL’s most gifted quarterbacks due to his size, strength, speed, and ability to threaten defenses with both passing and running. He was the NFL MVP last season.

However, Allen experienced difficulties in the Bills’ recent 23-19 loss to the Houston Texans on November 20th. In that game, he completed 24 of 34 passes for 265 yards, threw two interceptions, and was sacked eight times, failing to score any touchdowns. The Steelers (6-5) aim to intensify their pass rush when the Bills (7-4) visit Acrisure Stadium on Sunday.

The Steelers rank fifth in the league with 34 sacks this season, led by outside linebacker T.J. Watt with seven sacks and outside linebacker Nick Herbig with 6.5 sacks. Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin acknowledged the Texans’ effective pressure on Allen in their last game, noting their success in collapsing the pocket and chasing him down. Austin stated that a similar level of effort will be required for the Steelers to succeed.

Beyond Allen, the Steelers’ defense must also contend with Bills running back James Cook, who ranks second in the NFL with 1,084 rushing yards and averages 5.4 yards per carry. The only other running back with over 1,000 yards is Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts. Notably, the Steelers held Taylor to a season-low 45 yards on 14 carries in a previous game.

Austin described Cook as “really good,” “really explosive,” and possessing “really good vision.” He highlighted Cook’s ability to make defenders miss and acknowledged that Cook’s success eases the quarterback’s job and enhances the Bills’ play-action passing game. Austin emphasized the significant impact Cook has on the Bills’ offense.

Containing both Allen and Cook presents a considerable challenge for the Steelers, who are 15th in the league in rushing defense, 28th in total defense, and ranked last (32nd) in total defense.