Pittsburgh Steelers
If things play out the way we’re predicting, the Raiders will be looking good at 8-4 as they roll into their week fourteen matchup with Pittsburgh.
2017 didn’t go the way the Steelers had planned it. And it certainly didn’t end the way they wanted it, suffering a painful playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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But, 2018 is a new season, and unless something really crazy happens, by week fourteen, the Steelers will be looking to put the lock on a division title. Again. WithBen Roethlisbergerstill throwing toAntonio BrownandJuJu Smith-Schuster, andLe’Veon Bellstill chewing up yards on the ground, the Steelers offense should be as explosive as they were in 2017, when they ranked third overall, and eighth in scoring offense.
Who knows, with Todd Haley out andRandy Fichtnerin, maybe they’ll be even better.
But, let’s not make the mistake of thinking the Steelers are a one-trick offensive showpony. Defensively, although they definitely missedRyan Shazier, they were pretty good too, ranking fifth overall, and seventh in scoring defense.
They were solid on both sides of the ball, their 45-42 playoff loss an aberration in what had been a very solid 13-3 season.
Which means, the Raiders are going to have their work cut out for them if they hope to take this game from Pittsburgh. They’re going to have to find ways to pound the ball against the tenth-ranked running defense, and find ways to move the chains through the air against the league’s fifth-ranked passing defense.
They’re also going to need to find answers for Bell and Brown, who can make plays from anywhere and everywhere on the field.
It is going to be a fight, but Pittsburgh is explosive on both sides of the ball, and is highly balanced on offense. It might be too tall of a task for the Raiders.
Steelers: 30 Raiders: 24
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