Isaiah Wynn, OT – The 2018 first-round pick missed all of his rookie season with a torn Achilles and was slowly brought along this summer, playing 28 snaps in the third preseason game. Is Wynn ready to play an entire game at left tackle? He'll have his work cut out for him against Pittsburgh's stout front, which includes Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt.

Julian Edelman, WR – Edelman played just one series of the fourth preseason game after spending most of the summer recovering from a broken thumb. There's no question the Patriots passing game needs Edelman, but at 33 is he ready to pick up where he left off in last year's Super Bowl? The Steelers should give him a lot of coverage attention.

Matt Lacosse, TE – Lacosse was injured in the first preseason game against the Lions and didn't suit up again, despite practicing the last couple weeks. With Rob Gronkowski no longer around to torture the Steelers, Lacosse and Ryan Izzo will have to step up their game and provide the Patriots with some production from an entirely-new-look position group.

Michael Bennett, DL – With the Patriots stacked linebacker corps, Michael Bennett was almost an afterthought this preseason, but showed he can still dominate in practices. He shouldn't be asked to do much early-down heavy lifting, so expect Bennett's sole purpose to be getting after Ben Roethlisberger

Sony Michel, RB – With transition happening along the offensive line, at receiver and at tight end, Michel and the running backs are the only position group around Tom Brady without big questions. Michel looked explosive all summer and if the offense can get him going it will be easier for the rest of the offense to find their groove, especially if he proves to be a dual threat.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB – Roethlisberger has beaten the Patriots just four times, including last year's 17-10 victory, his first win over New England since 2011. For an accomplished quarterback like Big Ben, who's won two Super Bowls, this is a chance to beat the Pats on their homefield for the first time since the 2008 Matt Cassel year and get Pittsburgh's season off to a great start.

James Conner, RB – Conner missed last year's win over the Patriots, watching Jaylen Samuels put up 172 all-purpose yards. Now healthy and the unquestioned lead back, Conner will look to set the tone for the Steelers on the ground. As we saw last year, a potent rushing attack is a big key for Pittsburgh to have success.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR – Now out of Antonio Brown's shadow, Smith-Schuster will have a tough task of facing the experienced New England secondary which should provide a variety of coverage problems. Can Conner and Smith-Shuster produce like Brown and LeVeon Bell were never able to against the Pats? If JuJu can produce against the Patriots, he should set the tone for an exciting season.

Devin Bush, ILB – The speedy inside linebacker was Pittsburgh's first-round pick and alongside free agent acquisition Mark Barron should give the Steelers a jolt of speed and athleticism in the middle of their defense. Expect the Patriots to challenge them with their three primary running backs who can all catch the ball out of the backfield.

T.J. Watt, OLB – Watt led the Steelers with 13 sacks last season, lining up primarily on the defensive left. Along with Bud Dupree, this is the new generation of outside linebackers for Pittsburgh and they are expected to attack new left tackle Isaiah Wynn. The lack of a proven NFL blocker at tight end complicates how the Patriots can deal with these edge players.