For some reason, the 6-5 Indianapolis Colts are on top of the AFC South. Well, that’s the beauty of playing in a division full of crappy teams: you can survive without Andrew Luck and with an 800-year-old quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck under center. The Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, are also sitting on a 6-5 record, but are only aiming for a wild card slot in the playoffs with the Cincinnati Bengals looking immovable atop the AFC North.
For more Week 13 game previews, you can also read our breakdown of 49ers vs. Bears.
[sc:Football ]Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Preview
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
When: Sunday, December 6, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers – see all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
[sc:NFL240banner ]Say what you want to say about Matt Hasselbeck, but the old man continues to make the improbable possible: that is to win games as a 40-year-old starting quarterback. With the Colts beating Tampa Bay on Sunday, 25-12, Hasselbeck was able to improve to 4-0 this season as a starter.
Hasselbeck was a picture of poise and efficiency against the Bucs, as he passed for 315 yards and two touchdowns without an interception on 26 of 42 completions. Hasselbeck has another favorable matchup up ahead, as the Steelers have the worst pass defense in the league, allowing 283.6 passing yards per game.
That should also be music to the ears of wideouts Donte Moncrief and T.Y. Hilton, who had 14 and 95 receiving yards, respectively, against Tampa Bay. The duo will be covered next by Pittsburgh’s secondary that was torched again and again by Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse last Sunday.
Should their pass offense begin to click, the Colts’ may also see Pittsburgh’s tough defense against the run open up a bit. The Colts are rushing the ball for only 92.0 yards per game, good for only 26th in the NFL. That said, Frank Gore and Indy’s backfield can’t expect much success against Pittsburgh’s defense that’s sixth against the run per DVOA.
Indianapolis is 3-0 ATS in its last three road games.
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Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
Pittsburgh’s vulnerable defense reared its ugly again head on Sunday, when the Steelers lost to Seattle, 39-30.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson thoroughly abused Pittsburgh’s punching bag defense, as he passed for 345 yards and a career-high five touchdowns without an interception on a crisp 21 of 30 completions. For a run-heavy team like Seattle to have such success through the air in that game speaks volumes about how weak Pittsburgh’s passing defense is.
Even the Steelers’ normally shutdown run defense was slashed by the Marshawn Lynch-less Seahawks, who rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers will have to get it together in an all-important matchup Indy next Sunday. The team’s problem, however, stretches past their defense.
Ben Roethlisberger was concussed in the loss to Seattle and is currently placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol. If Big Ben can’t go, the ball will be in Landry Jones’ hands under center again. Jones, however, submarined the Steelers once he entered for Roethlisberger against the Seahawks, as he threw two interceptions on only four attempts. Thus far this season, Jones has 513 passing yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Antonio Brown, meanwhile, was nearly radio silent in the Seattle game as Richard Sherman did a terrific job of scaring away Roethlisberger from looking in Brown’s way. He only had 51 yards on six receptions on Sunday, but he should have a better outing against Indianapolis’ defense that allows 272.8 passing yards per game, 27th in the league.
Writer’s Prediction
Pittsburgh wins, 28-26.
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