By BOB LABRIOLA
Steelers.com

The following are some of the interesting matchups to watch when the Steelers travel to Giants Stadium to face the New York Jets at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday:

STEELERS RT WILLIE COLON VS. JETS DE SHAUN ELLIS: Because the Jets use a 3-4 as their base alignment, there will be times when it’ll be Ellis vs. Kendall Simmons as well, but there is no question that he is their best all-around defensive lineman. Ellis entered the NFL in 2000, and the Steelers’ choice as the eighth overall pick came down to Plaxico Burress or Ellis. The Steelers settled on Burress, but that doesn’t change the fact the team had a high regard for Ellis. The Jets are going through growing pains as they switch to the 3-4, but Ellis still leads the team in sacks (two) and pressures (eight). Controlling him will be important for the Steelers, and when the job falls to Colon he’ll be battling Ellis in the NFL stadium that’s closest to his hometown of the Bronx. Colon is still a developing tackle in this, his first full season as a starter, and Ellis, a 30-year-old in his eighth NFL season, is well into the second half of his career. If the veteran takes the young guy to school, the Jets could be on their way to an upset. If Colon makes Ellis disappear, Willie Parker and Ben Roethlisberger will be set up for big days.

STEELERS KICKOFF COVERAGE VS. JETS KOR LEON WASHINGTON: Usually, the special teams matchup is one of the last ones listed, but this could be the most important head-to-head battle of the afternoon. The Steelers’ kickoff coverage is as bad as there is in the NFL right now, and the schedule is providing them with the best kickoff return man in the NFL this Sunday. That’s right, Leon Washington is better than Joshua Cribbs; he has a better average and more touchdowns, and don’t forget that Washington hasn’t had a crack at the Steelers, while Cribbs has had the benefit of two. The Steelers made some roster moves during the week, moves made necessary by a back injury to Jerame Tuman and the splenectomy to Ryan Clark. One of the players added to the active roster was safety Grant Mason, a first-year player from Michigan who did a decent job on special teams during training camp and the preseason. Whether Mason is active this Sunday is yet to be determined, but there is a job available for someone who shows a willingness to run down under kickoffs and make tackles. Maybe that turns out to be Mason, but if not, Coach Mike Tomlin will continue to look.

STEELERS CB IKE TAYLOR VS. JETS WR LAVERANUES COLES: Once upon a time, Ike Taylor and Bill Cowher used to watch tape and keep track of the number of interceptions he dropped. It was supposed to be instructive rather than critical, and something similar has been happening with Taylor and Coach Mike Tomlin. Regardless of the film study, Taylor continues to have trouble holding onto the football after doing all of the work to get himself in good position to make a play on it, and Pro Bowl berths for cornerbacks go to those who put up some statistics. Taylor will be playing in front of a portion of the New York media, and he will have some opportunities to go head-to-head with Coles, who is second on the team to Jerricho Cotchery in receptions but leads everyone on the Jets with six touchdowns. Second-year pro Kellen Clemens will be starting at quarterback, and young guys at the position tend to make some poor decisions with the ball. If Clemens makes them, and Taylor can hold onto them, maybe the Steelers cornerback takes his career to another level.

STEELERS RB WILLIE PARKER VS. JETS ILB DAVID HARRIS: This is the fifth game the Steelers have had this season against an opponent ranked very near the bottom of the NFL in rush defense – Cleveland twice, Cincinnati and Denver were the others. Against the Broncos, the play-calling got away from the Steelers a bit in the first half, and even though the game was lost because the defense couldn’t stop Denver from answering scores with scores of their own in critical situations, there also could be little argument that they had not take sufficient advantage of an opponent’s weakness. The Jets continue to go through the process of switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense, and there have been growing pains. The loss of LB Jonathan Vilma to a season-ending injury was a blow, but the play of rookie ILB David Harris has been a bright spot. Harris, a No. 2 pick from Michigan where he was a teammate of LaMarr Woodley, has started only two of the team’s nine games, but he’s tied for the team lead in tackles with Eric Barton and Darrelle Revis. Attrition football is a good way to beat the fight out of an underdog, and for the Steelers that’s best accomplished with their running attack.