Saints vs. Steelers: Complete Week 13 Preview for Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers return from their bye week Sunday to host the New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET, Fox), an unfamiliar opponent in more ways than one.
Not only do the Saints (4-7) and Steelers (7-4) rarely play each other—this is just their fourth meeting in the last 20 years—but they're at opposite ends of the NFL hemisphere.
All four teams in the AFC North are at least three games over .500. That's never happened before in the history of the NFL, according to the Elias Sports Bureau via Pro Football Talk.
Meanwhile, every team in the NFC South is at least three games under .500. The Saints and Falcons are tied for first place in the division.
So while an 11-5 record doesn't guarantee a playoff spot for the Steelers, 5-11 might be good enough for the Saints to win the NFC South and have a home playoff game, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Not surprisingly, AFC North teams are 10-1-1 against NFC South teams. The Steelers are the lone slackers there. They lost 27-24 at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who by the way are only two games out of first place in the NFC South with a 2-9 record.
The Saints have lost two straight at home to AFC North teams. They fell 27-10 to Cincinnati in Week 11 and 34-27 to Baltimore on Monday Night Football.
It would seem the Saints will have an even more difficult time going into the elements to face a smashmouth AFC North team after losing two straight to teams in that division in the comforts of the indoor Superdome.
However, there also seemed to be no way the Steelers could lose at home to Tampa Bay in Week 4.
Pittsburgh needs to keep pace with the rest of the teams in the division and beat up on a member of the sorry NFC South.
Week 11 Recap
1 of 5
The Steelers kicked their habit of losing to downtrodden teams, at least temporarily, edging the Tennessee Titans (2-9) 27-24 on Monday Night Football before enjoying their bye in Week 12.
They'll have to keep it up Sunday against the Saints (4-7), who are coming off three straight home losses.
Dick LeBeau improved to 19-2 against rookie quarterbacks since he became Steelers defensive coordinator in 2004, and the Steelers improved to 3-8 all-time at Tennessee.
Zach Mettenberger threw a pick-six to William Gay that gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. But he settled down and threw two touchdown passes to carry the Titans to a 24-13 lead late in the third quarter.
Instead of trying to throw their way back into the game, the Steelers took advantage of the NFL's worst rushing defense and turned to Le'Veon Bell.
Bell ran the ball five times on an eight-play, 72-yard drive and took it in for a five-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the fourth quarter.
The Steelers defense fed off the momentum and held the Titans to a three-and-out, and with 9:07 left in the game, Antonio Brown caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to give the Steelers a 27-24 lead.
Tennessee again was forced to punt, and thanks to Bell the Steelers kept the ball for the final 6:58 to clinch the victory.
Bell ran the ball 33 times for 204 yards, fourth-most on the Steelers' all-time list, according to MLive.com. Only Willie Parker (223, 213 in 2006) and John "Frenchy" Fuqua (218 in 1970) have run for more in a single game.
The Steelers got no help during their bye week. The Bengals, Ravens and Browns all won. The Bengals (7-3-1) lead the AFC North. The Steelers, Ravens and Browns are a half-game behind the Bengals at 7-4.
News and Notes
2 of 5
Blount Reunites with Patriots
Former Steelers running back LeGarrette Blount landed on his feet after the Steelers released him.
He rejoined the New England Patriots and ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 34-9 win over the Detroit Lions.
As Le'Veon Bell ran for 204 yards, Blount had no carries in the Steelers' 27-24 win at Tennessee on Nov. 17. So he left the field before the end of the game and was dressed and on the team bus before everyone made it into the locker room after the game.
The Steelers cut him the next day, and the Patriots picked him up.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette brought up the possibility that the whole situation could have been orchestrated—that Blount might have purposely got himself released so he could go back to New England, where he played last season.
Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, however, doesn't seem to be among the conspiracy theorists.
"Just a reminder: 30 teams had a chance to claim LeGarrette Blount off waivers before he signed with the Patriots.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) November 24, 2014"
Blount gained 772 yards, averaged five yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns for the Patriots last season. He ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the Patriots' 43-22 playoff win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Trouble has followed him everywhere he's gone. He was suspended for the 2009 season at Oregon for punching a Boise State player after the season opener.
In Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers hired a car service to get him to practice on time, according to the Tampa Bay Times via Pro Football Talk.
In August, Blount and Bell both were arrested for possession of marijuana when police pulled over a car Bell was driving. Bell additionally was charged with driving under the influence of marijuana.
Harris Replaces Blount
The Steelers signed running back Josh Harris from the practice squad Nov. 18 to take Blount's place on the roster.
Harris ran for 2,195 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, and 19 touchdowns in four years at Wake Forest.
The 5'11", 210-pounder had just 435 yards in his senior season and went undrafted.
A Bigger Streak for Brown
Catching five passes for 50 or more yards in a game has become a ho-hum experience for Antonio Brown. He's done it in an NFL-record 27 straight games.
But he has a more productive streak going. He's caught at least seven passes for 70 yards in six straight games, according to Pro Football Reference. That's two games shy of the record. The thing is, Demaryius Thomas holds the 7/70 record at eight straight games, and his streak is still alive. Brown won't have a shot at the record unless he keeps his streak going and Thomas' streak ends.
Brown, Bell Among Top 10 in Pro Bowl Votes
Le'Veon Bell is sixth among all players in Pro Bowl voting through Week 11, according to NFL.com. Antonio Brown is seventh.
Bell is second to the Cowboys' DeMarco Murray with 951 rushing yards. His 57 receptions are second among running backs.
Brown leads the league with 88 receptions, is second with 1,161 receiving yards and is tied for third with nine receiving touchdowns.
Steelers Fall to No. 8 Seed
The Saints visit the Steelers six days after failing to help them in the AFC playoff race.
The Baltimore Ravens' win over the Saints Monday night dropped the Steelers to the No. 8 seed in the AFC. If the season ended after 12 weeks, the Chiefs and Chargers, both 7-4, would be the wild-card teams.
The Ravens, Steelers and Browns are all 7-4, but the Ravens win the tiebreaker among the three teams because they have the best record in games played against one another, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Kansas City and San Diego join the Ravens, Steelers and Browns at 7-4. That's the best record in the AFC among non-division leaders. Wild-card tiebreakers are first determined within the division. The Ravens currently have the advantage over the Steelers and Browns, but the Chiefs and Chargers both have better conference records and therefore occupy the two wild-card spots.
All that will change over the last five weeks of the regular season, however.
Moore Goes Up Against Old Team
Wide receiver Lance Moore played nine years for the Saints before signing with the Steelers as a free agent after the 2013 season. The 31-year-old will oppose the Saints for the first time Sunday.
Moore has caught 11 passes, two for touchdowns, with the Steelers this season. He caught 346 passes for the Saints between 2005 and 2013. His best season came in 2008, when he caught 79 passes including 10 touchdowns.
"It's definitely going to be one of the more weird games that I've played in," Moore told Ralph Paulk of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Saints, Steelers Tied in All-Time Series
The Steelers and Saints both have won seven times in the 14 games the teams have played since the Saints joined the NFL in 1967.
Not only will Sunday's game give one team the lead in the all-time series, but it also will be a rubber match between Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees, who are 1-1 against each other.
Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a 38-31 win over Brees and the Saints at Heinz Field in 2006. The Saints beat the Steelers 20-10 on Halloween night in New Orleans in 2010.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Position | Injury Status (through Fri) |
| Marcus Gilbert | RT | Questionable (ankle) |
| Ryan Shazier | ILB | Questionable (ankle) |
| Steve McLendon | NT | Out (shoulder) |
| Cortez Allen | CB | Out (thumb) |
| Martavis Bryant | WR | Probable (illness) |
The Steelers defense is expected to get an infusion from several players who have returned to health.
Troy Polamalu is back after missing two games with a sprained knee. Cornerback Ike Taylor will return after missing eight games with a broken forearm.
Both will start, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. William Gay would move over to the left cornerback spot with Taylor returning.
Rookie inside linebacker Ryan Shazier hopes to get back on the field after missing two games with a sprained ankle. He's missed six games this season.
Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones (wrist) was removed from the injured reserve-designated to return list on Monday, according to ESPN.com. Like Taylor, Jones hasn't played since getting hurt in Week 3 at Carolina. The Steelers have three weeks to decide whether to put Jones on the roster or place him on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
It's looking like Mike Adams will start at right tackle in place of Marcus Gilbert, who was injured in practice Wednesday.
Adams' progress has been a feather in the cap of Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak. Adams was benched after allowing three sacks in Week 4 last season against Minnesota.
But this season Adams stepped in for a concussed Gilbert in Week 7 against Houston and started the following week against Indianapolis. He didn't allow a sack and was part of an entire unit that didn't allow a sack in the Steelers' 51-34 win over the Colts, when Ben Roethlisberger threw for 522 yards, fourth most in NFL history, and a franchise-record six touchdowns.
Note: Steelers.com was used for injury-report information.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Antonio Brown vs. Keenan Lewis
Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis, a former Steeler, probably has gone up against Antonio Brown in practice.
On Sunday, he'll try to cover him for real.
Brown leads the NFL with 88 receptions, and that means more now than it did in the first 11 weeks of the season since every team has had its bye.
Lewis broke up 23 passes for the Steelers in 2012, second only to Richard Sherman, according to ESPN.com. But the Steelers thought Cortez Allen was ready to replace him, so they let him sign with the Saints as a free agent.
Lewis has intercepted five passes and broken up 20 since then, and Allen has intercepted four and broken up 24. But Allen hasn't played a down since allowing two touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8.
Brown will be the most prolific receiver Lewis has faced this season, but he's gone up against others who are in the top 10 in receptions. He covered Jordy Nelson twice and allowed two catches for 16 yards in Week 8. He held Anquan Boldin to one reception for 15 yards on three targets in Week 10.
Torrey Smith isn't among the top 10, but he burned Lewis on Monday night with two catches for 51 yards, including a 40-yarder.
Lawrence Timmons vs. Jimmy Graham
The Steelers have struggled against tight ends this season. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, they've allowed 46 catches for 564 yards and eight touchdowns. They've also allowed a tight end to score a touchdown in each of the last four games.
Now the Steelers have to stop Jimmy Graham, who leads all tight ends with 65 receptions. A two-time Pro Bowler, Graham scored two of his nine touchdowns this season in Monday night's 34-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons has been targeted the most over the past four games when opposing quarterbacks have thrown to tight ends, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He's been targeted eight times and allowed a reception each time for a total of 49 yards. That includes touchdowns by the Colts' Dwayne Allen and the Ravens' Crockett Gillmore.
The return of Troy Polamalu and the possible return of Ryan Shazier couldn't come at a better time. They'll need to help Timmons against Graham.
Steelers Offensive Line vs. Junior Galette
The Steelers offensive line paved highway lanes for Le'Veon Bell to run through in Tennessee. He ran for 204 yards.
However, new offensive line coach Mike Munchak still hasn't worked his magic when it comes to pass protection. Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked 30 times this season. He's on pace to be sacked at least 40 times for the seventh time in his career.
The 6'2", 258-pound Junior Galette leads the Saints with seven sacks. As a team, the Saints have only 23 sacks, tied for 19th in the league.
Galette, who had 12 sacks last season, is an outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid. He's listed as a DE on Pro Football Focus and is second in the league at the position with 32 quarterback hurries.
Le'Veon Bell vs. Parys Haralson
The Steelers will need Le'Veon Bell to keep churning out yardage so they can control the clock and keep the potent Saints offense off the field.
The Saints rank 30th in the NFL against the run, allowing 4.6 yards per carry. The Steelers have gained at least 100 yards as a team, and Bell has run for at least 82 all six times they've faced a team in the bottom 10 against the run.
Pro Football Focus ranks Parys Haralson third in run defense among the NFL's 4-3 outside linebackers, but he's only 12th on the team with 24 combined tackles.
To make matters worse for the Saints run defense, defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley was placed on injured reserve after hurting his leg against the Ravens, according to NewOrleansSaints.com. Lawrence Virgil, a rookie from Valdosta State, was promoted from the practice squad to replace him.
Steelers X-Factor to Watch: Troy Polamalu
The Steelers managed to go 1-1 without Troy Polamalu. But the defense allowed 164 yards in the first quarter against the Jets, and it was really the offense that turned the tide in Tennessee when the Steelers came back from an 11-point deficit to beat the Titans 27-24.
Polamalu will be needed to help lift a sagging defense, and he'll be instrumental in trying to stop Saints running back Mark Ingram, who is 14th in the league with 645 rushing yards despite missing three games with a broken hand.
Ingram ran for more than 100 yards in three straight games. He trampled the Packers defense for 172 yards in a Week 8 win. He ran for 100 in a win at Carolina a week later and went for 120 in a loss to the 49ers.
There's been no middle ground this season when the Steelers try to stop teams on the ground. They've allowed 132 or more rushing yards in five games and 63 or less in six games. They're 10th in the league with 102.2 rushing yards allowed per game but tied for 18th with 4.3 yards allowed per carry.
Prediction
5 of 5
All that's assured is that this game won't be as easy as it seems for the Steelers.
The same team that beat the Colts by 17 and the Ravens by 20 lost to the Jets and had to come from behind to beat the Titans.
Drew Brees leads the NFL among players who have thrown at least 37 passes with a 70.3 completion percentage and is third with 3,491 passing yards. It's the second time a quarterback among the top three in that category has visited Heinz Field this season. Andrew Luck leads the league with 3,641 passing yards.
Even a Steelers defense fortified by the return of several starters will struggle against Brees, Jimmy Graham and the Saints. But that will go both ways. The Saints are 30th against the run, allowing 4.6 yards per carry, and 27th on defense overall with 377.1 yards allowed per game. The unit is fresh off a 182-yard thumping by Ravens running back Justin Forsett.
Luck and Ben Roethlisberger squared off in an 85-point shootout five weeks ago. This one won't be that wild, but it still will be a memorable game.
The Saints and Steelers will combine for the same number of points that they did when Brees and Roethlisberger faced each other at Heinz Field eight years ago.
Prediction: Steelers 35, Saints 34
Statistics are from NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Follow @Steel_Tweets
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
