5 things to watch
1. Who will fill Martavis Bryant's role?
With Martavis Bryant suspended (awaiting appeal) the Steelers are going to have to figure out a way to get Sammie Coates or Darrius Heyward-Bey involved a lot more in the offense than usual. If they can't it will likely be a couple of games before they reach their peak offensive fluidity.
2. How will the Steelers starting offensive line look without Maurkice Pouncey?
How will Doug Legursky and Cody Wallace handle replacing such a big aspect of this offensive line? The Steelers offensive line has been great but think about all the double teams Pouncey required, now his absence could cause some holes to open up.
3. Do the Bills have an effective backup running back?
With LeSean McCoy sitting out until week 1 if not later, and Karlos Williams suffering from an undisclosed illness, Bryce Brown suffering a hamstring injury and Boobie Dixon injuring his calf, Fred Jackson might be one of the few players leaned on in the third preseason game. Jackson was initially out with a hamstring injury however he returned to practice last Saturday.
4. How will the Bills starting defense perform?
Can the Bills defense lead the toothless offense to victory? The Steelers are a tough task any time of year so a key goal for Rex Ryan should be to get some significant pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick.
5. Will EJ Manuel earn some more playing time?
EJ Manuel has been the last quarterback to have a shot at leading Buffalo's anemic offense in the preseason and is currently last on the depth chart. Manuel can make some waves if he performs like a starter and adds some punch to this offense.
