Everyone knew the Pittsburgh Steelers had issues going into last week's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, and nothing changed.
The team embarrassed themselves in the second half, in a game where they should've had a chance to win. They head into Week 3 of the season with severe doubts lingering around the team. It could affect how people pick the outcome of their games.
The Steelers will hit the road for the second time this season to take on the New England Patriots. They were able to overcome the first road test a couple of weeks ago, and they must do that once more after their home opener collapse in the last game. There have been no alterations to fix Pittsburgh's problems thus far, and the number of injuries they carry is a concern.
New England isn't a powerhouse this year, and they will probably be one of the worst clubs in football when it's all said and done. Mike Tomlin hasn't done well in these situations before, which has many concerned when their predictions are finalized. The Patriots have an offense that can move the ball, but they are inconsistent, which could either benefit or sink the Steelers' outcome.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 3 prediction has Pittsburgh Steelers getting back on track
"The Steelers were caught napping against the Seahawks in Week 2, and I'd be surprised if they let that happen again. Despite the big names on the roster and notable offseason acquisitions, Pittsburgh hasn't lived up to expectations early in the season—particularly on defense. This road game against the Patriots won't be a walk in the park, but the Steelers should have learned in their Week 2 loss not to underestimate any opponent." - Tommy Jaggi (Steelers 24-20)
"The New England Patriots are fairly average in creating pressure, but they do lead the NFL in sacks. That's going to be problematic for Pittsburgh. If New England finds their ground game against the 28th-ranked rushing defense, it's going to be a long day. The Steelers win, but in an annoyingly close game." - Jacob Harrison (Steelers 24-21)
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"The Pittsburgh Steelers get the job done behind a determined Mike T and focused defense. TJ Watt makes the defense shine - contributing two sacks." - Loyal Ricks Jr. (Steelers 31-14)
"I'm trying not to overreact from last week's debacle against the Seahawks. That said, the Steelers are playing a bad brand of football and the Patriots have been better than expected. I won't hop off the train yet and will favor experience over youth." - Andrew Falce (Steelers 23-17)
Final prediction has Steelers not being able to overcome their early season warts
Final prediction: Steelers 23, Patriots 24
As a whole, our Still Curtain expert panel is making the same mistake that happened last week. They trust the Steelers to fix their issues from last time, which failed to happen a week prior. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. We can't accept the early-season failures by Pittsburgh, and it appears that Tomlin will not admit the numerous red flags littering this roster.
New England isn't terrific, but their offense has shown the ability to move the ball and add points to the board.
They haven't done a great job of running the ball, but that could be magically solved going up against the Steelers. Unless the away team can answer the bell and solve their run defense woes, every opponent they face will destroy them like we've seen in the past two outings.
Drake Maye is the quarterback of the Patriots, and he has struggled against the opposing pass rush. The Steelers' defense needs to pin their ears back and attack Maye once they slow down the run game. If they fail at either, then expect Maye to have a strong game like Sam Darnold did in Week 2.
Pittsburgh can easily win this game, but like most contests, this won't be a cake walk.
The Steelers' offense needs to establish a consistent ground attack, and Aaron Rodgers can lead them to victory from there. The primary issue with this team has been their own mistakes heading into Week 3. If they address them, they’ll have a real chance to become the team they've been promoting themselves as. You can't trust they will solve that, and the Patriots get the edge here.