Steelers vs. Rams: Experts not high on Pittsburgh this week

The Steelers host the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday for their third consecutive home game. Here’s why most experts aren’t picking Pittsburgh.

It’s not surprising to see the Steelers pegged as the underdog yet again in Week 10. Pittsburgh is entering their third straight home game coming out of the bye, and they have won three straight games, but that apparently isn’t enough to start convincing NFL experts that they are about to upset the Los Angeles Rams.

According to NFL Pick Watch, just 19 percent of experts believe the Steelers will take care of business on their home turf this week.

Even with Pittsburgh’s current surge to get themselves back to.500, this isn’t something that caught us off guard. The Rams are just months removed from a Super Bowl appearance, and they are a 5-3 team in the toughest division in football.

The Steelers may have collected their fourth win of the sesaon last week, but their 2019 victories have come against the Bengals, Chargers, Dolphins, and Colts. These teams have a combined record of 10-24 halfway through the sesaon.

Meanwhile, the Rams have defeated teams like the Panthers and the Saints earlier in the sesaon. While they don’t seem to be the same team they were in 2018, Los Angeles still has an innovative young coach who knows how to exploit matchups.

The Steelers have been great on the defensive side of the ball, but their linebackers still have some issues in coverage over the middle of the field. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp is coming off a 220-yard performance and the best game of his career. Look for McVay to find ways to get his slot receiver matched up against Mark Barron and Devin Bush in this contest.

Offensively, Pittsburgh has really struggled this season, and it may not improve much as they face the Rams this week. Los Angeles may have a middle-of-the-pack defense in terms of team rankings, but star players like Aaron Donald and newly acquired cornerback Jalen Ramsey could give Randy Fichtner’s offense fits on Sunday.

There is some hope, however. Last week, just 27 percent of experts elected to go with the Steelers to defeat the Colts, so an overwhelming majority of analysts and writers picking the Rams doesn’t guarantee them a win.

Mike Tomlin’s team has been faced with a lot of adversity this sesaon, and they are showing that they can overcome almost everything thrown their direction. If Pittsburgh can start moving the chains on offense, they will stand a realistic shot at winning this game.