WEEK 2: MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Browns (1-0) @ Pittsburgh Steelers logoSteelers (0-1)

ODDS: CLE -2.5

— The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t lost a Monday Night Football home game since 1991……….We all know the lopsided history in the Steelers favor when it’s Browns -Steelers. Yet it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers who enter tonight’s home game as an underdog and because of how bad things went in week 1, Pittsburgh faces all the pressure to avoid going 0-2……..

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–Top Five Steelers/Positions feeling the most pressure Tonight —

  1. Kenny Pickett | Pickett was so abysmal in week 1 that all this clout he built up in the preseason means nothing. The All-22 tape was even much worse than Pickett looked live vs the 49ers. Things like Pickett never throwing more than one touchdown in a game which is truly an amazing stat for a first-round quarterback with 14 games under his belt, is rightfully becoming a talking point and it should be before the week one dud. It’s mindboggling Pickett has yet to have a two-touchdown passing game in his career. On the big stage tonight it’s time for a legit good game from Pickett #’s wise. No excuses…….
  2. Defense Without Cam Heyward | All summer there was talking coming out of the Steelers organization Pittsburgh’s defensive unit has a chance to be one of the best since the vaunted group 12-14 years ago. This has always been a unit that can terrorize weaker opponents but more often than not, a team with an elite quarterback or an elite running back will have a field day against this group as Christian McCaffery showed again in week 1 against the Steelers. With no Cam Heyward and ‘Mr. Chubb coming to town, the pressure is on the defense to take away Cleveland’s running game and make it a night where Deshaun Watson has to beat you.
  3. Matt Canada | More likely than now it’s probably going to be embarrassing night at times for Matt Canada in how some many pundits will be in disbelief the Steelers are running a Division-II caliber offense from scheme and the inability to take advantage of mismatches. Yet, there’s no sense of any serious pressure on Canada internally from those above him that matter. In reviewing the tape, many in the organization pinpoint the offensive woes squarely on Kenny Pickett.
  4. Patrick Peterson | The San Francisco 49ers pinpointed a weakness in the secondary, hence Patrick Peterson, who is being used like the Steelers coaches think he’s 27 again. With the Steelers being coy that Joey Porter Jr is ready for a bigger role, the Browns are primed to go after Peterson early and often. Whether Peterson has a bounce back performance or the Steelers can hide in better will be telling point to how the night goes.
  5. Bully Ball? The Steelers have believed in building a team this season and beyond that bullies you in the trenches. Week One saw the Steelers being a team that got punched in the mouth and caved. Pittsburgh was dominated in the trenches. Can Pittsburgh establish that hard-nosed running game tonight and begin establishing the type of identity they covet.

— Prediction: Steelers defense shines with a 17-16 Win —

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