A couple weeks ago, we were speaking about the demise of the once-great Pittsburgh Steelers.
As usual, we were exaggerating. Since losing to the Houston Texans in Week 4, the Steelers have reeled off three straight wins and have taken control of the AFC North. After looking dead in the water (or liquid steel, whichever your prefer), the Steelers appear to be back.
But the oddsmakers are not convinced. At least not so far, as Sunday's tilt against the New England Patriots is concerned, anyway. Per Bodog.com, the Pats are favored by three points.
One can only imagine what the spread would be like if it was the Steelers visiting the Patriots and not the other way around.
At any rate, there's only one way the Pats are actually going to be able to win and cover, and that's by scoring a whole bunch of points. Because the Steelers have been playing some great defense this season, that would seem to be a tricky proposition—especially when you consider how well the Steelers have defended the pass in 2011.
Right now, the Steel Curtain ranks No. 1 in the NFL against the pass, allowing just 171.9 passing yards per game. They would appear to have the advantage on Tom Brady.
But that's just the thing. Nobody ever has the advantage on Tom Brady. Besides which, the Steelers' numbers against the pass are slightly misleading, as they have yet to face a truly elite quarterback.
In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this Sunday's contest is a lot like the last time the Pats and Steelers met in mid-November of 2010. The Steelers came into that game with outstanding defensive numbers, but Brady torched them for 350 yards and three touchdowns and the Pats won 39-26.
Can the Pats hang as many as 39 points on the board again? To be honest, I doubt it. But given the offensive punch they've been packing for the better part of 2011, and given the extra week they've had to prepare for the Steelers, I would say that topping 30 points is a legit possibility.
The Steelers are also going to score points, but I don't think they have quite enough offense to keep pace with the Patriots. This game likely will be a shootout, but I think the Patriots are ultimately going to have more ammo.
Patriots 35, Steelers 31
Robbie Eal Joe Callahan Bryan Allen Mark Cullen Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox
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