The Steelers are set for another colossal clash against a potential Super Bowl contender this Sunday when they travel to New Orleans to face the 12-2 Saints.

Let’s have a look at five Steelers I believe you need watch in this big game.

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Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ryan Switzer, Eli Rogers, and James Washington

I know that we’re heading into a holiday weekend and maybe you’re thinking I’m taking a shortcut this week by lumping all of the Steelers wide receivers into one category: but I’m not. (I swear!)

The return of Eli Rogers last week threw a monkey wrench into the New England Patriots plans, as Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner’s offense featured multiple players who could operate out of the slot including Rogers, Ryan Switzer, Antonio Brown, and even JuJu Smith-Schuster.

In fact, Steelers tight ends Vance McDonald and Jesse James have also run routes out of the slot throughout the season, as have running backs, James Conner and Jaylen Samuels.

With the Saints currently 28^th in passing defense, you’ll want to keep an eye on a deep Steelers receiver group. I imagine they’re going to attack the Saints secondary in much the same way, making it impossible to cover every single weapon on the field.

That begins with Antonio Brown, one of the greatest receivers in NFL history: who just so happens to not be Pittsburgh’s leading receiver this season! That distinction would go to JuJu Smith-Schuster, the second-year player who also topped 1,000 receiving yards this season. (The other is AB.)

That pair makes it incredibly difficult to also matchup with Rogers and Switzer, but the formula is further wrinkled by tossing rookie WR James Washington into the equation. The second-round pick out of Oklahoma State appeared to have a rough go this season, but he was nearly being relied on solely for stretching the field. Once things opened up with intermediary routes against the Patriots, we can see how Washington’s presence can open things up for everyone else… and himself.

The rookie arrived last Sunday with season-highs in both catches (3) and yards (65) including a 32-yard connection with Ben Roethlisberger.

The quintet of pass catchers may be more heavily relied on if RB James Conner is unable to return from injury this Sunday. Fichtner has gone on record stating that he considers short passes the same as running plays:

Sure, but the run game is efficient based on what? How many times you actually hand it to him, or how many times that guy got yards in the game, got first downs?

You know, we used 89 as a running back last week, and he caught a screen for like 30. Is that a screen or a run? I mean, that’s kind of how you have to look at it. I look at it as how do we utilize the five players we have in an attempt to get first downs to make touchdowns.

You can call it rush, you can call it pass, but we have an actual run play, a draw play, that’s blocked the same way as a screen play.

One time we flipped it, one time we didn’t.

So, I don’t really look at it that way. I look at it as how do we move the chains, how do we put a point on the board. Where we failed last week was, we didn’t put enough points on the board.

That says all you need to know about this group of receivers. Of the five against the Patriots, Brown and Smith-Schuster played nearly offensive snap, Washington played 69% of the offensive plays, Rogers returned with 45% of all snaps and Switzer was also on the field for 33% of the plays.

That doesn’t even include a sixth receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey, who had nine snaps for 14% of the offense’s possessions.

Wow.

That’s why this group is the definitive five you should watch Sunday, as all of them have another opportunity to crash a party, this time in New Orleans.