SCOUTING THE COMMANDERS

Last meeting

Washington beat Steelers, 23-17, on Dec. 7, 2020, in Pittsburgh

Key matchup

Jayden Daniels’ rushing vs. Steelers ILBs/Payton Wilson

The Steelers have allowed opposing quarterbacks only 56 rushing yards all season — Daniels nearly averages that per game (51.0). According to Pro Football Focus, more than half of Daniels’ rushing attempts are not designed runs but are scrambles. It will be incumbent on the Steelers’ inside linebackers to stay in their lanes, and Wilson is often on the field in passing situations. The Steelers, for a variety of reasons, have not faced mobile quarterbacks this season — but in only two series against the Steelers in September before leaving the game via injury, Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson had 24 rushing yards.

Key injuries

The only Steelers on the active roster who have been ruled out from playing are reserve outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring) and reserve safety Terrell Edmunds (illness). … Days after his trade from New Orleans, veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore will not make his Commanders debut because of a hamstring injury. Washington starting right tackle Andrew Wylie is listed as questionable because of a shoulder injury.

Series record

Washington leads 44-34-1.

Series notes

Sunday’s game will be the Steelers’ 83rd against the former Redskins — they’ve faced only the Browns and Bengals more often. … The majority of the meetings came before the 1970 NFL/AFL merger, when the Steelers were moved to the AFC. In the 54 years since then, the teams have played each other 12 times. … The Steelers have won eight of those post-merger meetings. They had a six-game winning streak in the series until 2020. …. The team was named the Washington Football Team for that game; this is the first time the Steelers play a team called the Commanders. … The Steelers are 2-0 at what is now called Northwest Stadium. They haven’t lost a road game to Washington since 1988. But the Steelers have played only two games there since then (2008 and 2016). … The Steelers and Redskins were division rivals in the NFL East for decades dating to the Steelers’ founding in 1933. The Redskins were based in Boston until 1936.

Notable

Each team is on a three-game winning streak. … The Steelers rank second in the league in scoring defense (14.9 points per game), and the Commanders are third in scoring offense at 29.2. … The Steelers are 23-12 after an idle week since the NFL instituted byes in 1990. Only four teams have more post-bye victories. … Since Mike Tomlin became coach in 2007, the Steelers are 13-4 immediately after a bye. That’s tied for the best record in the NFL in that time. Andy Reid is the only coach who has more such victories over the past 18 seasons. … This is the Steelers’ first 1 p.m. kickoff in six weeks (Sept. 29 at Indianapolis). … The Commanders finished 4-13 last season and in last place each of the past two seasons. At 7-2, they lead the NFC East. At least one last-place team from a prior season has won its division in 19 of the past 21 NFL seasons.

Fantasy tip

Using standard scoring rules, Commanders rookie Daniels is the third-highest-scoring fantasy player in the NFL this season. Among quarterbacks, he ranks tied for third in rushing touchdowns (four) and second in rushing yards (459).