BILLS AND STEELERS CLASH IN PITTSBURGH
Kickoff for Bills-Steelers is set for 1:00 p.m. Sunday's game will mark the 21st regular season meeting between Buffalo and Pittsburgh, with the Steelers holding a 12-8 advantage in the series.
With a win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, Buffalo will:
• End a four-game losing streak against the Steelers
• Finish with a 2-2 record against AFC North opponents in 2013
BILLS-STEELERS REGULAR SEASON SERIES
• Overall regular season record: 8-12
• Bills on road at Steelers: 1-7
• Last meeting on road: 9/16/2007, L 3-26
• First regular season meeting: 10/11/1970, L 10-23 at Pittsburgh
• Last regular season meeting: 11/28/2010, L 16-19 at Buffalo
The Bills will host the New York Jets in Week 11 at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, November 17 at 1:00 p.m.
BILLS-STEELERS SERIES
Buffalo and Pittsburgh will meet for the 21st time in the regular season this week. The Bills are 8-12 all-time against the Steelers and have won one of the eight road games against Pittsburgh. Sunday's game at Heinz Field will mark the second time Buffalo will have played in the Steelers' new venue (0-1, 9/16/2007).
The two teams have squared off six times in the month of November (3-3).
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
FORMER BILLS/STEELERS
• Bills GM Doug Whaley was a Pro Personnel Assistant for the Steelers in 1995 and then Pro Scouting Coordinator (1999-09).
• Buffalo RB Coach Tyrone Wheatley was an NFL Minority Coaching Fellow intern with the Steelers in 2008.
• Bills Director of College Scouting Kelvin Fisher was a College Scout for Pittsburgh from 2000-12.
• Buffalo College Scout Theo Young played TE for the Steelers (1987-88).
• Several members of the Bills spent time with the Steelers: OL Kraig Urbik (2009),OL Doug Legursky (2009-12), FB Frank Summers was a fifth-round draft pick of Pittsburgh (2009), P Brian Moorman spent the 2013 Training Camp with the Steelers.
• Pittsburgh DC Dick LeBeau was the AHC for the Bills (2003).
• Steelers STC Danny Smith held the same position with Buffalo (2001-03).
• Ray Jackson, a member of the Steelers Player Development department, played cornerback for the Bills from 1995-98.
AREA CONNECTIONS
• Bills GM Doug Whaley is a native of Pittsburgh and was a four-year letterwinner as a safety and linebacker at the University of Pittsburgh from 1990-93. He led the Upper St. Clair High School football team to its 1989 AAAA Pennsylvania state championship
• Bills DC Mike Pettine was a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh from 1993-94.
• Buffalo STC Danny Crossman was a three-year letterman at the University of Pittsburgh.
• Bills LB Coach Chuck Driesbach was the defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh from 1993-96.
• Bills Director of Pro Personnel Tom Gibbons was a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh from 1990-91 and was a four-year letterwinner at Indiana (PA) University.
• Buffalo Asst. Equipment Manager Randy "Woody" Ribbeck was inducted into the Minor Pro Football Hall of Fame (Pittsburgh) in May.
NFL CONNECTIONS
• Bills P Brian Moorman spent his first three seasons learning under Steelers STC Danny Smith while he was with Buffalo
• Buffalo S Jim Leonhard and LB Jamaal Westerman and Steelers WR Jerricho Cotchery played for the Jets (2009-10).
• Bills RB Tashard Choice and Steelers RB Felix Jones shared the backfield in Dallas from 2008-11.
• Bills OL Coach Pat Morris held the same position in Minnesota (2006) when Steelers HC Mike Tomlin was the Defensive Coordinator.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
• Steelers S Shamarko Thomas played under Bills HC Doug Marrone at Syracuse (2009-12). He also played under Bills DB coach Donnie Henderson in 2012.
• Buffalo C Eric Wood and Steelers CB William Gay played on opposite sides of the ball for the Louisville Cardinals from 2004-06.
• Bills LB Manny Lawson and Steelers WR Jerricho Cotchery were teammates at NC State in 2002. Bills DE Mario Williams joined them in 2003.
• Bills RB C.J. Spiller and OL Antoine McClain played at Clemson with Steelers TE Michael Palmer.
• Bills OL Cordy Glenn and Steelers LB Jarvis Jones were both Georgia Bulldogs in 2010 and 2011.
• Bills DB Aaron Williams and Steelers DB Curtis Brown teamed up in the Texas secondary from 2008-10. Bills WR Marquise Goodwin played on the opposite side of the ball for Texas from 2009-10.
• Bills DL Alan Branch and Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley anchored one of the top defenses in college football at the University of Michigan from 2003-06.
• Bills LS Garrison Sanborn and Steelers LB Lawrence Timmons shared a locker room at Florida State from 2004-06.
• Bills CB Leodis McKelvin and Steelers DT Steve McLendon helped lead the defense for Troy from 2005-07.
• Bills LB Nigel Bradham and Bills QB EJ Manuel were teammates with Steelers LB Vince Williams at Florida State from 2008-11.
• Bills RB Tashard Choice and Steelers RB Jonathan Dwyer formed a dynamic backfield at Georgia Tech during the 2007 season.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
OFFENSE
QB Thad Lewis
• 144 passing yards to reach 1,000 in his NFL career
• 16 completed passes to mark 100 in his NFL career
QB EJ Manuel
• Two touchdown passes to match Trent Edwards (2007, 7) for the second-most among Bills rookie quarterbacks
• Eight pass completions to move into third on the team's single-season rookie chart (Dan Darragh, 1968, 92)
RB C.J. Spiller
• 22 rushing yards to record 500 in 2013
• 40 receiving yards to record 1,000 in his career
RB Fred Jackson
• One rushing score to tie Antowain Smith for sixth-most in team history (26)
• Three receiving yards to join Thurman Thomas (11,938 / 4,341) as the second player in team history to post 4,000 rushing and 2,000 receiving yards
WR Stevie Johnson
• Will extend his current streak of consecutive games with a catch to 57 with a reception on Sunday
• One catch to move into ninth in team history (Peerless Price - 288)
• 77 receiving yards to post 500 in 2013
• 115 receiving yards to match Peerless Price (3,772) for ninth-most in Bills history
TE Scott Chandler
• Will match Reuben Grant (15) for third-most touchdown catches among Bills tight ends all-time with his next scoring grab
DEFENSE
DT Kyle Williams
• 2.5 sacks to notch 25.0 in his NFL career
DE Mario Williams
• 0.5 of a sack to record 75 in his NFL career
• 3.0 sacks to match a personal single-season best of 14.0 (2007)
DT Marcell Dareus
• One tackle to record a single-season best (43 in 2013 and 2011)
• 1.5 sacks to match single-season personal bests of 5.5 in 2011 and 2012
DE Jerry Hughes
• Will play in the 50th game of his NFL career on Sunday
• A sack to record a new single-season best (4.0 in 2013 and 2012)
LB Kiko Alonso
• Two interceptions to match a franchise record among rookie linebackers set by Mike Stratton in 1963 (6)
• 11 tackles to record 100 in 2013
CB Leodis McKelvin
• One pass defensed to match a single-season high of 11 in 2010
DB Aaron Williams
• One pass defensed to set a new single-season high (seven in 2013 and 2012)
FS Jairus Byrd
• One multi-interception game to become the third Bill with five multi-pick games (Tom Janik - 6 and Billy Atkins - 5)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K Dan Carpenter
• Will match Booth Lusteg (19) for ninth on the team's field goal made chart with his next successful kick
CB/PR Leodis McKelvin
• Will record his 50th punt return attempt with his next return
P Brian Moorman
• Needs three punts inside the opponents 20 yard line to record 250 in his Bills' tenure
