The Steelers open their 2021 regular season against a tough Bills squad that caused the black and gold to lose last season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers begin their 2021 season against the Buffalo Bills. It will be an away game for the black and gold as they hope to start the season on the right foot.
It is an immediate test for this team as the Bills are one of the top squads in the AFC heading into the year. They have a strong offense led by quarterback Josh Allen, and their defense is a strong unit as well. This is a nice team that has been rebuilt to contending status. It is the first time this franchise has been promising since those 1990s teams with quarterback Jim Kelly and Co.
That contention status has not allowed for Pittsburgh to be the majority when it comes to who the experts are favoring in this game. The Bills are expected to win this game even though some had trouble choosing them over the away club.
The Steelers have some question marks across their team and that has prompted questions of what kind of team they are. It seems likely they will still be playoff contenders even though they have some issues currently. Their offensive line is suspect and unproven at the moment, but if that can be solved, then this will be a solid offense going forward.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has come under scrutiny yet again, but he has proven that this offense can still move with him under center during the preseason. The defense should still be a good group despite them losing some key contributors this past offseason.
If the Steel City team can show these issues are irrelevant or none existent, then this club will secure a lot more predictions in their favor soon.
But for now, let’s dive into this crucial Week 1 matchup that’ll set the tone.
Steelers vs. Bills: Who are the experts picking in Week 1?
There were three sites chosen as professional picks for this upcoming week one matchup. Those sites include profootballnetwork.com, nflspinzone.com, and sportingnews.com.
All three are reliable sources that know football and have genuine good predictions for games.
Pro Football Network
This site has it being a close game with the Bills winning in the end, 28-23. Their reasoning is the number of question marks surrounding the Steelers at the moment, but they do recognize that the away team does have a legit chance for the upset here. It is going to be a tough game but they ended up selecting the Bills, just like most of the experts are choosing as we enter into Week 1.
NFL Spin Zone
This site also went with the Bills emerging victorious once the clock strikes zero. They expect the home squad to win by a score of 33-26. That is a fair guess as the Steelers do seem to have some obvious faults heading into this game, as the Bills are expected to have a Super Bowl chance soon. The expert believes that the black and gold will have a turnover or two in this game and that will lead to the Bills pulling away in the score column. That is a fair guess as it seems likely with a new offensive coordinator that there could be some miscues.
Sporting News
It is another predicted win for Buffalo by the score of 27-19. This prediction focused more on the Bills’ skill set and less on the Steelers in general. They expect the Bills to mostly dominate this game as they did on the scorecard last season when these two faced each other. These predictions are not favorable for Pittsburgh but stranger upsets have happened. It will be a tough battle and should be a decent game for both teams.
Prediction: Steelers 23, Bills 31
It was an ugly game for the Steelers the last time they visited the Bills. It should be a playoff-like atmosphere in this game, but Week 1 is an early time for this matchup.
Both teams might have some miscues and that could make the game more interesting. The extra week of preparation could also move this game closer on the score sheet before it is all said and done. The home squad is just too strong for the opposing team to handle in this game. There are so many things going towards the Bills favor when you dissect this fight both on and off the field. Buffalo’s front should be able to handle this newly formed Steelers offensive line with relative ease throughout the game.
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That will cause turnovers and give the home club’s offense lots of chances to extend leads.
The Steelers just have so many question marks that they will have to answer immediately and show that they are not an issue. That offensive line is a major concern, but with a new offensive coordinator, that will cause hiccups. Confusion with a new game plan will happen and that will lead to penalties and turnovers at points in the year.
The defense is super strong for Pittsburgh but they are still unproven at cornerback opposite of Joe Haden and the slot-corner spot is still somewhat of an issue as well.
This is a game Pittsburgh can win but it will take all of these issues being small or nonexistent in this game. Expect the Bills to win this game but the score will be close as the home team holds onto the lead for the entire game.
It is going to be a very tough matchup for the Steelers in Week 1. Many expect the Bills to win this game and all signs seem like they should but stranger upsets have happened.