The Steelers are looking to go 12-0 with a win against Washington. Here’s why a majority of experts are taking Pittsburgh this week.
The Steelers are coming off their 11th straight win of the 2020 season – yet again reaching a new best start in franchise history. However, their win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12 was less than impressive. Despite being at home and facing a decimated Ravens team who was missing their former MVP quarterback, Pittsburgh narrowly squeaked out a 19-15 win.
This doesn’t give me a lot of confidence heading into Week 13, as The Washington Football Team is in search of their third straight victory. However, the experts don’t seem to care. Though Pittsburgh barely beat the Ravens last week in a game that was originally planned to be played on Thanksgiving night, 93 percent of experts believe the Steelers will take care of business at home this week, according to NFL Pickwatch.
Do experts have too much confidence in Steelers?
While the Steelers handed it to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals in previous weeks, their recent games against both the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens surprisingly came down to the wire. This is the second time in their last four games that Pittsburgh’s offense has been a huge letdown, and they can’t afford to play as poorly against a relatively hot Washington team.
The Washington Football Team is built much like the Steelers. The strength of their roster is in their defensive line and they rely on the short passing game on offense. However, Washington has had a much more consistent run game than the Steelers all year and they now have rushed for over 150 yards in 3 of their last 5 games (even topping 200 rushing yards against the Cowboys).
While Alex Smith hasn’t been the most efficient passer since taking over the job, Washington has done enough on offense to outscore their opponents 61-25 over the past two weeks.
Even with this run, there is no doubt in my mind that the Steelers possess the more talented roster of the two teams, and there is no reason they shouldn’t be able to win this game. Mike Tomlin was extremely dissatisfied in his post-game press conference against the Baltimore Ravens, and he knows that a game like that shouldn’t have been close. With so many national media analysts bashing the Steelers as of late, I’m betting that this team is going to want to stick it to Washington in Week 13.
Inconsistencies on offense have been the biggest problem this year, and the Steelers have managed to eclipse 28 points just one time in their last 6 games. Doing so against Washington could be a tough task, as they boast one of the best defensive lines in the National Football League and have held their opponents under 17 points in their last two games.
When it’s all said and done, it’s not surprising to see the Steelers heavily favored this week, but Pittsburgh isn’t exactly coming off their best game of the season. Let’s hope they can show the football world what they are made of against Washington this week.