Early look at the Detroit Lions 2017 opponents: Pittsburgh Steelers
By Ash Thompson
Cornerback
Ross Cockrell might be the best corner nobody has heard of in the NFL. He has definitely been the best that the Steelers put on the field for the last two years. He was tendered as a restricted free agent this year, but only at the original round level. Teams do not typically go after restricted free agents, but Cockrell’s agent set the tone for negotiations next year by exploring every possible avenue for his client.
The team is certainly hoping that Artie Burns can take over that top role in his second season. Burns had 65 tackles in 2015, which is a stat that doesn’t look great from the corner position. Generally, corners with high tackle numbers are allowing a lot of catches. William Gay appears to be the leading candidate to man the slot corner spot again. 2015 second rounder Senquez Golson may or may not be available for the team. He has yet to take the field in an NFL game and brought a gun to the airport in May. There are a lot of hopes and dreams at the corner spot for the Steelers. We will probably know whether they have been answered by Week Eight.
Safety
Safety Mike Mitchell is one of the hardest hitters in the league. He is a legitimate starter, who provides more than adequate coverage and makes plays when they are presented to him. The Steelers brought in Damion Stafford for depth. Sean Davis will man the other safety slot. He has the potential to be a very good strong safety in the league, with the ability to man up and cover tight ends. Eric Ebron could be in for a long day against the combination of Davis and Shazier.
Specialists
The Steelers drafted a long snapper in the sixth round of 2017. Colin Holba was the 213rd pick of the draft this year. I take that as proof that Bob Quinn wasn’t crazy when he did the same thing in 2016. It’s just unfortunate that Jimmy Landes got hurt. Punter Jordan Berry was awful as a rookie but had a much better sophomore year in 2016. The team has not brought in serious competition. Kicker Chris Boswell was money for the Steelers last season, missing only two field goals of less than 50 yards.
The Steelers best returner is also their best receiver. Antonio Brown returning kicks is not an ideal scenario for the Lions or Steelers. The Lions would prefer to see almost any other player with the ball in their hands, and the Steelers would like anyone else to perform well enough to keep Brown safely on the sideline. Sammie Coates has the abrupt athleticism to be a successful returner in the NFL if he can stay healthy. He is the most likely player to wrest return duties from Brown’s clutches.
The Steelers present a challenging problem for the Lions. They have very good players at most starting positions and adequate players at the rest. There are exploitable holes, but not many. There is a reason they have won two of the last three AFC north titles, and won playoff games in two of the last three seasons.
Next: Early look at the New Orleans Saints
A lot of questions about the Lions roster need to have positive answers for the Lions to compete. With that said, any given Sunday, any team can win and that’s the beauty of the NFL.