Final score predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to claim victory in their first contest of the 2020 season on the road against the New York Giants. Here’s how the game could play out.

After over eight months with no game action, the Pittsburgh Steelers are ready to hit the ground running against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Despite being on the road, Mike Tomlin’s team is favored in this contest, but I wouldn’t be too quick to chalk this up as an easy win.

The Steelers are notorious for their lackluster start to the season in recent years. In 2019, the New England Patriots wiped the floor with them in a 30-point victory over Pittsburgh. The year before, Tomlin’s team tied with the Browns – a game Cleveland would have won in overtime had it not been for a timely T.J. Watt blocked field goal.

This year, things could be different. Here’s how I see the game playing out.

Why the Steelers could struggle

The Steelers will be a better football team than the Giants in 2020 – mark my words. However, that doesn’t mean that Pittsburgh won’t struggle with an inferior opponent in Week 1.

Every year, Tomlin and his crew drop at least one game to an uncommon opponent with a record below .500. Last year, they did so at a very inopportune time against the New York Jets. In previous years, the Steelers didn’t show up to play against teams like the Raiders and Bears. It’s important to consider that they may not run away with this game despite possessing a more talented roster.

New York doesn’t have a lot to boast about right now. They have a potential up-and-coming quarterback at the helm in Daniel Jones and running back Saquan Barkley is obviously one of the hardest in the league to match up against.  In addition, their mammoths along the defensive line could make it tricky for Pittsburgh to get things going on the ground – especially without David DeCastro clearing the way this week.

Score prediction: Steelers 26 Giants 20

If this game were to be played in the middle of the season, I would feel much more confident that the Steelers could blow the Giants out of the water. However, Pittsburgh doesn’t typically explode out of the gate. With Ben Roethlisberger being out of game action for nearly a year, it may take him a few quarters to catch his sea legs.

While I don’t see the Giants putting up 30 points on Pittsburgh’s talented defense, New York has a chance to control the clock on offense if they can prove to establish the run, and they may be able to break off a few chunks plays that lead to points.

Defensively, the Giants defensive line has the potential to hold Pittsburgh’s rushing attack under 4.0 yards per carry this game, so Ben will need to be relatively efficient through the air.

It’s not fair to expect a perfect game from the gate for Roethlisberger, but he should do enough to get the job done tonight. I have the Steelers taking this game 26 to 20 at MetLife Stadium.

Pittsburgh will have a much tougher stretch of games mid-season, and I can’t complain about getting a team like the New York Giants in Week 1. Still, a rocky start could shape the outcome of the game. The Steelers are the better team. Let’s hope they take care of business in their first game of 2020.