Lack of superstars sets stage for Steelers/Packers bold predictions

Ah, the crystal ball was glowing brightly last Thursday, as a slew of bold predictions made my ability to see the future look so simple that maybe even a caveman could do it.

My man Coty Sensabaugh came up big, but darn you Marcus Mariota for tackling him: he could’ve had that pick six I predicted!

Ditto for James Conner not getting his first career touchdown, but he did have a season-high for carries and was seen a little more frequently in the short week. However, I was a bit miffed when I took the 30-40 point prediction off of the table (which was mention briefly in last week’s article) only to see the Steelers put up the big 4-0.

Well, I’m not ready to back off of that one this week. With an ailing Green Bay Packers team missing both Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews, along with various injuries to their offensive line, I do believe the Steelers could have another big primetime showing this Sunday night.

Defense 5+ Sacks

Listening to Good Morning Football, one of the hosts said the LA Chargers have the hottest defense in the NFL and that their team is “better than the Steelers”. He then pointed out Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram from LA as his proof.

Uh oh.

The Packers offensive line is in shambles… and if any of the Steelers heard this line, they could be overly motivated to tear apart backup quarterback Brett Hundley.

I’m thinking five or more sacks makes a statement Sunday.

The Le’Veon Bell Show

If JuJu Smith-Schuster is out for the game, I think the Steelers could heavily lean on Bell to help manage the clock and move the chains. Also, consider Marcus Gilbert is out, and the offense will have to rely on Chris Hubbard in his place for pass protection, and perhaps the Steelers don’t have as big of a passing day after all.

Bell has at least 150 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns Sunday.

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Big Game For Big Ben

This contradicts my previous prediction, but I still think Ben Roethlisberger will close in on 300 yards and 2-3 touchdowns even with a balanced running game. That’s because Bell will be worked into the passing game as well, as part of the previous “yards from scrimmage” prediction.

Steelers Score Mid-30’s

Okay okay. This is a broad line I’m casting out into the prediction sea. I want to say 34, 36, 38. I’m not sure if Pittsburgh will hit 40 points. Not that they can’t, and with a rare defensive touchdown, they could have over 40. But if it’s only the offense, I feel far more comfortable in the mid-30 range, which means they get at least 30… this is killing me, because I’ve predicted it all season, so considering they put up all of those points against the Titans when I didn’t predict it, watch this team put up 20 instead…


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