As things stand, the New York Jets’ offense does not have many appealing options against a stacked Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
Pittsburgh boasts a ferocious pass rush featuring two perennial All-Pros and plenty of depth behind them. New York will try to run the ball heavily to protect Justin Fields from said pass rush, but that is easier said than done against a defense that also allowed the fifth-fewest yards per rush attempt last season (4.1).
The Jets will have to solve that dilemma just days after losing perhaps their best offensive lineman, Alijah Vera-Tucker, to a season-ending triceps injury, causing a shift at two starting offensive line spots.
New York’s coaching staff must devise a perfect game plan for the offense to overcome its on-paper deficiencies compared to a full-strength Pittsburgh defense.
The Steelers may not be at full strength, though. There is still a chance that Pittsburgh will be without one of its critical defensive pieces.
Speaking to the media on Friday, first-team All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward did not commit to playing in Sunday’s season opener.
Heyward has been seeking a new contract throughout the offseason, staging a brief hold-in during training camp. He eventually returned to camp, and he even practiced in full on Friday, but Heyward left open the possibility of sitting out on Sunday if he does not receive a new contract.
“You know, I am preparing (to play on Sunday),” Heyward said. “Still got some time. But we will see.”
Heyward would not provide a straight answer regarding whether he will sit out if he does not receive a new contract and play if he does.
“I wish I had a straight answer for you right now,” Heyward said. “All I can tell you is I’ve had to have a lot of tough conversations with my family, and I am bracing for everything.”
It still feels likely that Heyward will suit up at MetLife Stadium. But until we see him in uniform, you can bet that Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand will pray each night for a massive gift from the football gods to jump-start his NFL play-calling debut – a gift of similar magnitude to the Jalen Carter-sized one that the Dallas Cowboys had spat at them.
If Heyward sits out, this suddenly becomes a completely different football game. His absence would not just represent the loss of a top-tier playmaker – it would shift the makeup of Pittsburgh’s entire defense.
On snaps with Heyward on the field in 2024, Pittsburgh allowed 3.8 yards per rush attempt. That would have ranked second-best in the NFL.
With Heyward off the field? That number skyrocketed a whole yard to 4.8, which would have placed 29th. Only three pitiful defenses – Dallas, New Orleans, and Carolina – allowed more than 4.8 yards per carry last season.
A Heyward-less Steelers defense is ripe for the picking in the run game. If he is absent for four quarters, Pittsburgh would become vulnerable to the exact game plan that New York wants to establish: grounding and pounding their way to plodding, clock-chewing drives that keep the ball protected, the defense rested, and the Steelers’ spirits crushed.
If Heyward is out there, the Jets will be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Pittsburgh stops the run at a nearly league-best level with their star defensive tackle on the field. To have anything close to a competent offensive performance, the Jets will have to either find creative ways to beat an elite Pittsburgh run defense that is fully expecting New York to focus on the run game (which becomes even more challenging without Vera-Tucker) or pray that Fields can somehow vastly exceed expectations through the air.
Two entirely different Steelers defenses could show up on Sunday, and it all depends on one man. His presence determines whether Pittsburgh is elite or weak against the specific weapon New York wants to build its success around.
The Jets’ fortunes will dramatically improve if Heyward elects to prioritize his wallet over a Week 1 victory for the Black and Gold. Things will get much tougher if Heyward suits up – which, as of now, should still be expected. New York, of course, is preparing for Heyward to play.
In that event, the Jets would have an opportunity to send a blaring message to the NFL. If they can run the ball effectively on a Heyward-led defensive line – with Pittsburgh selling out to stop New York’s run game – it would prove their rushing attack is poised to be a serious threat throughout the 2025 season.
Without a threatening quarterback to soften the box, the Jets’ run game has to be successful in unfavorable situations if it is to be the anchor of a competent offense over 17 games. They must be able to run the ball through sheer willpower and force against stacked boxes full of defenders playing downhill.
It can hardly get more unfavorable for New York than facing a fully powered Steelers defense in the season opener before Fields has had a chance to establish rhythm as a passer in his new environment (or the re-shuffled offensive line has had a chance to play together). Assuming Heyward plays, the Jets’ run game is arguably drawing its toughest challenge of the season right off the bat.
This is a chance for New York to show that their formula can work against anybody. Either that, or it will reveal itself as a flawed approach that prevents the Jets from competing with playoff-caliber teams.