5 Bold Predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 8 Matchup
The Pittsburgh Steelers have completed the “easy” part of the schedule and now get to face two AFC heavyweights over the next two weeks.
This short stretch of games will begin with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, as Andrew Luck comes to town riding a five-game winning streak. It will also be his first matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Historically, the Steelers have performed well the first time facing a quarterback, but Luck is no ordinary signal-caller.
Luck leads the league in passing yards and touchdowns and ranks in the top 10 in completion percentage, yards per attempt and quarterback rating. His performance, combined with an above-average ground game and top-10 defense, has the Colts positioned as one of the top teams in the AFC.
Only one game behind the 5-2 Colts, the Steelers have established a pattern of winning every other week en route to a 4-3 record to start the year. A win against the Colts will not only will help the Steelers build momentum heading into the second half of the season, but also prove that they can contend for a playoff spot in the AFC.
Do the Steelers have enough to overcome Luck and the Colts? Here are five predictions for this Week 8 matchup.
Andrew Luck Will Shred Pass Defense
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The Pittsburgh pass defense has struggled throughout the 2014 season, but it has held its opponents in check.
Mike Glennon is the only quarterback to surpass the 300-yard mark, and no one has thrown for more than two touchdown passes. In fact, the Steelers rank 13th against the pass with 230.9 yards allowed per game.
However, they have not faced a quarterback playing at the level of Andrew Luck. He leads the top-rated passing offense with 329.6 yards per game into Pittsburgh coming off 300-yard passing performances in six of seven games.
Luck has five straight games with over 312 passing yards and has completed no lower than 56.8 percent of his passes this year. Now he gets to go against a defense that features Cortez Allen and Brice McCain. Allen has particularly struggled this year and is often the target of opposing quarterbacks.
The speed of T.Y. Hilton and veteran savvy of Reggie Wayne will take advantage of Pittsburgh’s corner play, while Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener will exploit matchup problems with the linebackers. Add in Luck’s ability to move around the pocket, and he will continue his terrific season with over 300 yards and three touchdowns against the Steelers.
Markus Wheaton Will Bounce Back
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Markus Wheaton appeared to be on the verge of developing into a strong No. 2 option for Ben Roethlisberger this season. He had 19 receptions on 26 targets through the first four games for 227 yards. Since then, his season has taken a turn for the worse.
Over the last three games, Wheaton has five receptions on 16 targets and only 50 yards. He has noticeably not been on the same page as Roethlisberger the past two weeks. Against the Cleveland Browns, he caught four balls on 12 targets and then was shut out on two targets against the Houston Texans.
You can talk about all of the firepower that the Steelers have on offense with Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and Heath Miller, but if there is no dependable second option at receiver, the offense cannot achieve the balance it needs.
According to Football Outsiders, Wheaton averaged 60.33 offensive snaps per game over the first six weeks but had his lowest output last week. Against the Texans, he only played in 31 snaps, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Wheaton may see a limited number of snaps again this week as the coaching staff gives Lance Moore and Martavis Bryant additional opportunities, but he will have an improved performance.
To get him involved in the game, Wheaton will have several plays designed to get the ball in his hands and rebuild his confidence. Do not expect him to come away empty-handed again this week. Instead, he will have four receptions for 40 to 50 yards all while proving that he can be a legitimate second option opposite Brown.
Ryan Shazier Will Record 1st Sack of Career
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Ryan Shazier has not played since Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, but he is “extremely close” to returning to action, according to Mike Tomlin in his weekly press conference, via Steelers.com. Assuming he returns, his presence back in the lineup would provide a nice boost to the defense.
Not only will his speed be an asset in defending against Allen, but Shazier can be utilized to rush Luck and limit his abilities to make plays from outside the pocket. In limited playing time, he has not picked up a sack, but he has the potential to make an impact in this area.
Luck is deceptively quick, and the defenders will have a tough time catching up with him. Rather than depend on his usual pass-rushers, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau needs to unleash the rookie and allow him to attack the passer. Only one of the Steelers’ 10 sacks this year has come from the inside linebacker position, and that was from Lawrence Timmons.
According to NFL.com, Luck has been sacked 11 times this season, including six times over the past three weeks. The defense is unlikely to get to Luck more than one or two times, but few players are more equipped to bring him down than the athletic Shazier.
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Ben Roethlisberger Will Have Best Game of the Season
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If the Steelers are going to have a chance to beat the Colts on Sunday, they will have to do so in a shootout. Indianapolis’ offense is too good to be held in check, and that means the offense must go score for score with Luck and Company.
Roethlisberger has been disappointing at times this year but still has 1,858 yards passing and 10 touchdowns to only three interceptions. He has completed 67.6 percent of his passes or higher in five of seven games and has two games over 300 yards.
Roethlisberger’s best stretch of games came in the second and third weeks of the season when he completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 510 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He will need to have a similar type of performance to outduel Luck.
Indianapolis will present a tough matchup, as it ranks fifth against the pass with 214.4 yards allowed per game and 21 sacks. But with players such as Brown and Bell at his disposal, Roethlisberger will look to have his best game of the year against one of the best teams in the AFC.
The Steelers will need a big performance from their best player to come out with a win. That means around a 70 percent completion day for 270 yards or more, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Indianapolis Will Win by 1 Score
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The Colts are on a hot streak with five straight wins by an average score of 33-15. They took it to the Cincinnati Bengals last week 27-0 and are one of the hottest teams in football. As we learn each week, though, any given team can win on any given Sunday.
Houston nearly defeated Indianapolis two weeks ago at home despite going down 24-0 in the first quarter. Last Monday, the Steelers quickly turned a 13-0 deficit to a 24-13 halftime lead. Strange things happen every week in the NFL, and this Sunday will be no exception.
The Steelers have flashed the ability to have at least an average defense and an offense that could be one of the 10 best in the league. However, other moments show that they could pick in the top 10 of the draft. This inconsistent play will do the Steelers in to the Colts on Sunday.
Though the Colts have an outstanding offense, the bend-but-don’t-break Pittsburgh defense will prevent the Colts from scoring above their average from the last five weeks, but it will still be enough. As talented as the Steelers can be on offense, they simply have too many problems scoring touchdowns to keep up with a team like the Colts.
Indianapolis will get the win, but the Steelers will at least prove they can compete with the best in the AFC.
Colts 31, Steelers 24
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com, and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.
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