Patriots elevate two players for Thursday night matchup with Steelers
The New England Patriots are adding two practice squad players to their active roster for their Thursday Night Football matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, they are elevating both quarterback/wide receiver Malik Cunningham and running back Kevin Harris.
This will be the second week in a row Cunningham is activated. He’ll have one practice squad elevation left after this.
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Although Cunningham was eligible to play last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, the rookie didn’t record any snaps. It was reported before the game the Patriots had a package of plays ready for him.
Cunningham’s lone game action came back in Week 6, when he was briefly signed to the active roster. He played six snaps in that game – two at quarterback on read-option plays, and four at wide receiver.
This will be Harris’ first practice squad elevation of the year. He was a sixth-round pick by the team last season, and appeared in five games carrying the ball 18 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. With Rhamondre Stevenson out with an ankle injury, Harris could see some time as the spell back to Ezekiel Elliott. The Patriots other two active running backs are Ty Montgomery, who has primarily been a special teams player this year, and JaMycal Hasty, who was signed last month.
The Steelers made linebacker Kyron Johnson their lone elevation for the game. Johnson made his season debut for the Steelers last week playing 13 special teams snaps. In 2022 he appeared in all 16 games as a rookie.
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Game planning for a short week: Patriots vs. Steelers What To Watch For
Containing Mitch Trubisky
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 03: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass during the third quarter in the game the Arizona Cardinals at Acrisure Stadium on December 03, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
After starting quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered an ankle sprain last week, backup Mitch Trubisky will start this game for Pittsburgh. Usually starting a backup quarterback makes an offense vulnerable, but given the struggles the Steelers have had offensively last year the change could prove to be a park. With Trubisky plays most of last week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals the Steelers scored 24 points, their highest point total in over a month.
With Trubisky in the game, his legs become a factor. He’s more of a threat to both extend plays as well as outright run than Pickett, and that’s something the Steelers will likely look to take advantage of.
It’s something the Patriots know too. This week, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux talked about how important it will be for the Patriots to be disciplined in their pass rush, so Trubisky can’t escape the pocket and take off. It’s something they did a good job of in last year’s matchup, when Trubisky ran just once for seven yards while throwing the ball 33 times (completing 168 for a touchdown and an interception). If those numbers look similar for Trubisky on Thursday night, the Patriots’ defense is probably doing something right.
Protecting Bailey Zappe
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 03: Bailey Zappe #4 of the New England Patriots throws a pass while being chased by Tuli Tuipulotu #45 of the Los Angeles Chargers in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium on December 03, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Last week the Patriots’ offensive line struggled significantly with the Chargers’ pass rush. Bailey Zappe was sacked five times, and pressured a total of 13. Khalil Mack in particular was an issue recording two sacks and two more QB hits.
This week, the task of protecting Zappe gets even harder. The Steelers have one of the best pass rushing units in the league, led by T.J. Watt who has 14 sacks in 12 games. If the Patriots pay too much attention to Watt, Alex Highsmith can clean up on the other side.
The biggest change that would help the Patriots would be a better game from right tackle Mike Onwenu. Onwenu had his worst game of the year last week, allowing five pressures and a sack. Watt almost exclusively lines up off right tackle in the Steelers’ defense, so this will be a tremendous test for Onwenu in a bounce-back game.
Zappe needs to do his part in mitigating the impact of pressure as well. A quarterback dropping his eyes is never good, but it could be especially bad in this game. If Zappe is throwing blindly because of the rush, Steelers safety Mikah Fitzpatrick will have a field day jumping routes.
Which side makes the special teams mistake?
Sep 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots place kicker Chad Ryland (37) is congratulated by punter Bryce Baringer (17) after kicking a field goal against the Miami Dolphins in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
As mentioned above, last year a special teams mistake was the big turning point in the Patriots-Steelers matchup. Late in the third quarter, Gunner Olszewski muffed a punt that was recovered by Brenden Schooler in the Steelers’ red zone. The Patriots would take advantage by scoring a touchdown on the drive, which ended up being the difference in the game. A similar mistake from either team could prove costly this year in what figures to be a field position battle.
Last week was a rough one for the Patriots’ punt unit in particular. Bryce Baringer muffed multiple punts, and the coverage unit allowed a 35-yard return that set up one of the two field goals in the game. On kickoff return, Jalen Reagor dropped a ball that cost him yards on a return.
Additionally, look for a potential kicker change from the Patriots this week. During the one session of practice that was open this week, practice squad kicker Matthew Wright was kicking field goals while Chad Ryland was behind the net retrieving the balls. It wouldn’t be surprising if Wright was elevated from the practice squad for this game.
