In a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers will look to keep their respective winning ways going this coming Sunday with both teams pulling off huge victories in Week 5 after crushing losses the prior week.
The Cardinals are aiming to extend their lead atop the NFC West even further, while the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to try and create some separation from the resilient AFC North pack. Only one team will prevail with a ‘W’ this weekend, and we’ve got this intense matchup covered with our in-depth preview below.
For more Week 6 coverage, check out our previews for Baltimore vs. San Francisco and Carolina vs. Seattle right after this.
[sc:Football ]Arizona Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Preview
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
When: Sunday, October 18, 2015 1:00 PM ET
Line: Arizona Cardinals (-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (+4); total: 44.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Arizona Cardinals (4-1)
After a shocking defeat in Week 4 against NFC West rivals the St. Louis Rams, the Arizona Cardinals got back on their high-powered horse of an offense to throttle the Detroit Lions this past Sunday, 42-17.
[sc:NFL240banner ]As usual, quarterback Carson Palmer led the way with his three touchdowns in the game. Although Palmer covered little ground (just 11-of-14 for 161 passing yards), what mattered most were those three TDs. The 35-year-old play-caller now has 13 touchdowns to just three interceptions for the season to his Cardinals to average an NFL-best 37 points-per-game clip.
Even Arizona’s running game is in top form behind Chris Johnson’s renaissance of a season. The former 2,000-yard-season rusher had 103 yards on just 11 carries against the Lions, giving him close to a hundred-yard average for the past three contests, and proving that his once dwindling career of scorching turf is far from over.
Better yet, the Cards’ defense flustered rocket-armed Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford all day as well. Free safety Rashad Johnson picked Stafford off twice, and standout cornerback Patrick Peterson also got in on the interception spree with one of his own. Arizona is tops in the league with 11 INTs for the season, which is three more than the team behind them in the rankings.
Generating turnovers against Pittsburgh this Sunday should be part of the Cards’ game plan to get their blazing offense back on the field as often as possible. The Steelers have been relatively sound with their possessions this season, turning the ball over just twice through five weeks of play.
Arizona won four of its last six games in the month of October (SU and ATS). The total went over in four of those games as well.
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
The second week of the Michael Vick project resulted in a win for Pittsburgh this time around. The Steelers had to fend off the San Diego Chargers ‘til the very end of a tense 23-20 victory on Monday night.
Without Ben Roethlisberger – whose return for the match against Arizona is still up in the air – at the helm of Pittsburgh’s offense, Vick played another error-free and cautious game versus the fired up Chargers, showing flashes of brilliance from his heydays in the fourth quarter.
First, the four-time Pro Bowl selection hit a sweet 72-yard touchdown pass to Markus Wheaton to even the game at 17 apiece. Then, he scrambled on a 3rd-and-6 for a 24-yard run, followed by a 41-yard pass to tight end Heath Miller late in the final period for the unexpected comeback. Vick would go on to finish the game with 203 yards, one TD and one pick on 13-of-26 passing.
But the Steelers wouldn’t have stood a chance against San Diego if it wasn’t for star running back Le’Veon Bell’s heroics. Bell had 21 carries for 111 yards in the win, with no attempt bigger than his 1-yd run for the game-winning touchdown as the game clock expired.
The tandem of Vick and Bell is working out rather well for the Steelers as they await the return of Big Ben to get the passing game back in full force. Ball control will once again be key for the offense against takeaway machine Arizona, and the two are doing their part to keep the Pittsburgh O humming (but not exploding) along nicely.
However, the team has got to be concerned about its secondary as they prepare for the arrival of Carson Palmer and the Cards’ soaring aerial attack in Heinz Field this weekend. The Steelers allowed San Diego’s Philip Rivers to complete 73 percent of his passes on Monday night and finished with 365 yards and two TDs to tight end Antonio Gates. Furthermore, the defense has only generated four takeaways this season, leaving many to wonder still what had happened to the once vaunted Steel-Curtain-like attitude and prowess that propelled the Steelers to countless victories.
Pittsburgh won four of the last five meetings against Arizona, with the total going over in all of those victories.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cardinals (+4) win a close one on the road, 27-24.
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