5 Bold Predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 14 Matchup
December has arrived, and the race for the AFC North title is as tight as ever. Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers are in third place, a win at Cincinnati can put them in the driver’s seat for the division crown.
By winning their final four games of the season, the Steelers can win the division and guarantee a playoff berth for the first time since 2011. However, they have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league and have not had a winning streak longer than three games all season.
While that's significant, the Steelers have the talent to put together another winning streak to finish the season, and it all starts on Sunday against the Bengals. As these two renew their rivalry, the Steelers will lean on Ben Roethlisberger, who has a career record of 9-2 in Cincinnati.
Not only would a win keep the Steelers in the hunt for a division title, but it would provide them with the confidence to have a strong finish to the year. Here are five bold predictions for this key AFC North matchup.
A.J. Green Held in Check
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A.J. Green is one of the premier receivers in the NFL and is in the midst of a solid season.
The 6’4” receiver has 45 receptions for 686 yards and five touchdowns in nine games. He has heated up recently with 22 receptions and two touchdowns over the past three weeks. His numbers could get even better as he faces the 16th-ranked pass defense in the NFL this weekend.
Pittsburgh’s defense is susceptible to the big play through the air, as it has allowed 43 passing plays of 20 yards or more this season. With the Steelers lacking a shutdown corner to match up against Green, he could be in for a big day.
However, they have performed well against Green lately. He has failed to average more than 12.0 yards per reception in his last four games against the Steelers and has not scored in his past three. He was also limited in practice this week with a thigh injury, per Corey Harvey of ESPN.com.
Last week, the Steelers held the Saints’ top targets in check despite allowing Drew Brees to throw for five touchdowns. Marques Colston was limited to three receptions for 16 yards, and Jimmy Graham did not record a catch.
The defense will step up again this week against the Bengals’ top option. Not only will the Steelers prevent a big play, but Green will have fewer than 100 receiving yards and be kept out of the end zone.
Jarvis Jones Will Get a Sack
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After Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu returned to the lineup last week, Pittsburgh expects to get Jarvis Jones back this week.
"As I reported on Wednesday, Jarvis Jones will play Sunday against the Bengals. So if Harrison is out, Jones and Moats will be the guys
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) December 4, 2014
"
Jones hasn’t played since Week 3 due to a dislocated wrist, and his return is coming just in time. James Harrison missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, per Steelers.com. A potentially thin depth chart at outside linebacker is in relatively good shape with Jones active and ready to go.
However, asking him to produce at a high level is a lot to ask. Jones had seven tackles and two sacks in just less than three games this year, but coming off a long layoff, he will have to shake the rust. He also has some tough competition across the field.
Bengals left tackle Andre Whitworth has had a very good season. He only has allowed 0.5 sacks, per The Washington Post, and is one of the reasons why Andy Dalton has only been sacked 14 times this year.
Despite the tough matchup, Jones will find a way to get to Dalton once. He may not be heard from again the rest of the game, but his one play will be a difference-maker.
Mike Mitchell Makes a Positive Play
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Mike Mitchell has to be due for a big play, right? Right?
The Steelers signed Mitchell this offseason to add youth and speed to a secondary that had slowed over the years. At the very least, he should have been able to replace the production lost with Ryan Clark. However, that has not been the case.
Through 12 games, Mitchell has 57 tackles and two forced fumbles. He has no sacks to his name, no interceptions and only two passes defended. That is not the type of production that the Steelers expected or needed from Mitchell.
Besides not being a playmaker at the back of the defense, he has failed to prevent the big play. As previously mentioned, this defense has given up 43 pass plays of 20 yards or more, and part of the reason is that Mitchell has failed in deep coverage.
On top of this, he has lacked discipline on the field. I am not referring to his responsibility in the defense but rather the numerous fouls he has committed throughout the season. The defense is not good enough to have to overcome its shortcomings and stupid penalties.
After such a dry spell, Mitchell is due for a big play. Andy Dalton is just the man to deliver it. Whether it is a pass breakup, a big hit or—gasp—an interception, Mitchell needs to make a play, and there is no better time than an important game against the Bengals.
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Ben Roethlisberger Bounces Back
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Ben Roethlisberger’s performance against the New Orleans Saints was one of the worst of his career. He went 32-of-58 for 435 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Although these numbers may not look horrible on the surface, many of them came in garbage time.
Roethlisberger was inaccurate and could have had three or four interceptions, including one that was dropped that would have been returned for a touchdown.
Looking back on the season, he has done a good job of bouncing back from poor performances. He now has three games with a completion percentage less than 60 percent—all losses. After the previous two, he followed it up with an outstanding performance.
The first came in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers when he completed 22 of 30 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 7 against the Houston Texans, he went 23-of-33 for 265 yards and two touchdowns.
Expect similar results on Sunday. He will have a completion percentage around 70 percent and will be very efficient throwing the football. Roethlisberger is primed for a passing performance with at least 240 yards and two scores while not turning the ball over.
Steelers Win Comfortably
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Just when you think the Steelers are out of it, they come back and remind you they can be one of the better teams in the league.
Despite losses in two of three games—and three straight shaky performances—the Steelers still have the ability to play excellent football. They stopped a similar skid earlier this season with a big 30-23 win over the Texans. That helped ignite a three-game winning streak that got them back in the playoff picture.
The Bengals are also on a downswing, scoring 27, 22 and 14 in their past three games, respectively. Despite all three being wins, they are on a downward trend.
A loss this week and the Steelers will have a significant uphill climb to make the playoffs, but a win can put them in the driver’s seat. With so much at stake, they play one of their best games of the season and come out with a big victory on the road.
Steelers 34, Bengals 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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