The Pittsburgh Steelers finally notched their first win of the season, as they put on a great show on both ends of the ball against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Up next for the Steelers is a matchup with the St. Louis Rams, who took a disappointing loss at the hands of the Washington Redskins in Week 2. Will the Steelers go back-to-back? Or will the Rams ambush Ben Roethlisberger and company at home?
For more Week 3 game previews, you can also read our breakdown of Bills vs. Dolphins and Bears vs. Seahawks.
[sc:Football ]Pittsburgh Steelers vs. St. Louis Rams Preview
Where: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis
When: Sunday, September 27, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5) at St. Louis Rams (+1.5); total: 47.5 – see all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers
[sc:NFL240banner ]With brilliant performances from key figures on offense, the Steelers avoided going down 0-2 in the standings by defeating San Francisco at home, 43-18. It was a huge statement game for Pittsburgh after losing in Foxborough in Week 1. For Week 3, Big Ben and crew head back on the road, where they are 4-1 SU and 2-1-1 ATS in their last four games.
In the San Francisco game, Roethlisberger threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns on 21 of 27 passing. As usual Roethlisberger had a great time hooking up with Antonio Brown, who made a mockery of the 49ers’ secondary on his way to compiling 195 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine catches. And in the backfield, DeAngelo Williams continued his surprising performance this season, as he rushed for 77 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.
Williams’ days as Pittsburgh’s starting running back, however, are about to be over with the return of Le’Veon Bell from suspension next Sunday. Last season, Bell topped the Steelers with 1,361 rushing yards and eight TDs on the ground. That said, having a rejuvenated Williams behind Bell should spell trouble for the Rams’ defense that has allowed 410 rushing yards in its first two games.
Pittsburgh is also starting to look good on the other side of the ball. Against the 49ers, the Steelers took down Colin Kaepernick five times, while letting San Francisco convert just one of its four red zone chances. Ryan Shazier is looking to impress even more after recording 11 tackles and forcing a fumble against San Francisco.
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Betting on the St. Louis Rams
After playing the role of David to Seattle’s Goliath in Week 1, the Rams were sent back down to earth hard, losing to a troubled Washington team on Sunday, 24-10. They return home looking to get back on track when they play Pittsburgh at Edward Jones Dome, where the Rams are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
It was a bit surprising to see Nick Foles struggle against Washington, considering that he did well against the Seahawks defense a week before. Against the Redskins, Foles went just 17 of 32 for 150 yards and a touchdown. Foles’ playing time, however, was limited in part because of the Rams’ defense that couldn’t seem to keep Washington’s offense off the field.
The Rams’ stop unit was particularly bad against the rush, allowing Washington to rack up 182 yards on the ground. It was another dismal effort by St. Louis’ defense, one that also gave up 124 rushing yards to Seattle. With Pittsburgh set to welcome back Bell, not to mention having Williams as primary backup, the Rams must be able to fix their leaky run defense.
As for containing Pittsburgh’s air attack, the Rams will look for their excellent pass rush that has previously crippled Seattle’s passing game by sacking Russell Wilson eight times. Kirk Cousins was sacked twice by the Rams, too, last week for a loss of 12 yards.
Writer’s Prediction
Pittsburgh (-1.5) wins, 32-28.
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