SCOUTING THE BILLS

Last meeting

Bills beat Steelers, 31-17, on Jan. 15, 2024, in Buffalo (playoffs).

Key matchup

Steelers ILBs vs. Bills QB Josh Allen

Josh Allen figures to take over as the NFL’s leading rusher among quarterbacks with 13 yards Sunday. He would pass the recently benched Justin Fields of the New York Jets, who had 48 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Steelers on Sept. 7. In five career games against the Steelers (including playoffs), Allen has 216 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Key injuries

The Steelers are without starting left tackle Broderick Jones (neck) and rookie starting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee). But starters at quarterback (Aaron Rodgers) and outside linebacker (Alex Highsmith) return after missing time.

The Bills are without each of their starting offensive tackles, Dion Dawkins (concussion) and Spencer Brown (shoulder). Dawkins is a reigning four-time Pro Bowl left tackle. Brown, a right tackle, has missed just two of the Bills’ past 59 games (including playoffs). Starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard (elbow) is also out.

Series record

Steelers lead 17-13.

Series notes

This is the first meeting between the teams in Pittsburgh since Dec. 15. 2019 — a 17-10 Buffalo victory against a Devlin Hodges-led Steelers team. … The Steelers lead the regular-season series 15-11. … The Bills have won four of the past five in the series, dating to a 2016 Steelers victory in the snow in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Steelers’ only win over that span was 23-16 in the 2021 season opener. … Before this run of Bills dominance in the series, the Steelers had won six consecutive and 10 of 11 against Buffalo. … The Steelers won eight of the first nine in Pittsburgh against the Bills until that 2019 defeat. … Counting the playoffs (at the end of the 2023 season), the Steelers and Bills have met in five of the past six seasons. … The most recent regular-season Steelers-Bills game was a 38-3 Buffalo victory on Oct. 9, 2022. That was the first career start for Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Notable

Buffalo won its first four games of this season, and the Steelers started 4-1. Since their respective hot starts, though, the Bills have lost four of seven and the Steelers have lost four of six. … The Bills rank third in the NFL in total offense (381.1 yards per game) and fifth in scoring offense (28.3 points per game). … Behind James Cook — who is second in the NFL in rushing — Buffalo leads the league in rushing offense (147.2 yards per game). Only one team has a better per-carry average (5.0), with Cook’s 5.4 ranking fourth among individuals. … If Allen throws a touchdown pass Sunday — the 214th of his career — he will surpass Brett Favre for the fifth-most touchdown passes by any player over his first eight seasons. … The Steelers have won their past three games against AFC East opponents, beating the Jets and New England Patriots earlier this season as well as the Jets in 2024. … The Bills are opening a stretch of three games against AFC North foes over a four-week span. They beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. … The 4:25 p.m. kickoff is being shown to the vast majority of the nation on CBS and is the first Steelers game this season that will feature the network’s No. 1 announcer crew of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo.

Fantasy tip

In four of the past five games, Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir has had at least six receptions. But in the outlier — Nov. 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — he had minus-3 receiving yards (on one catch). No team in the NFL has given up more catches (164) or yards (2,029) to opposing wide receivers than the Steelers.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)