It was another close game for the Steelers under Head Coach Mike Tomlin in Week 1 of action. One week down and 17 more to go as Pittsburgh tries to find a way back to the playoffs. With a tough conclusion to their campaign, the black and gold are going to have to start hot to have an easier path to the playoffs. Their road will cut through Denver this week to take on the Broncos.
Denver lost their season opener to the Seattle Seahawks. Expectations are low for the Broncos this season as their roster continues to try and rebuild. After a strong preseason, Box Nix was unable to carry over that success to the regular season. He struggled in his debut, and it seems like he could be subject to the NFL learning curve that most rookies have to endure.
Tomlin said in his press conference leading up to this game that Justin Fields seems primed to be the starting quarterback for a second straight week. Russell Wilson must be struggling with the thought of not being able to play in a revenge game against his former team. The Steelers had a strong group effort in their win last week, and they will hope to build off of that.
Pittsburgh vs Denver Week 2 prediction: Steelers 20, Broncos 16
Expect a similar approach to this game to what the Steelers did last week against the Falcons. Denver is not a good team, and it is unlikely they will win many games. This is one of the battles that Pittsburgh must emerge victorious from if they want a quality chance at making the playoffs when the regular season starts to wind down.
The Broncos have a poor defensive front, so that should mean the Steelers can run the football effectively. On the opposite side of the ball, Denver doesn't have the strongest offensive line either, so pressure should make life difficult on Nix throughout the game. Pittsburgh will do its best to dominate on the ground and make easy options for Fields to remain mistake-free.
As long as the black and gold can remain consistent running the ball and open some deep shots down the field, then they will have a good chance at winning this game. They need to find the end zone. The trust that the coaching staff has in Fields will play a big factor in how effective the offense is. They should be able to find paydirt in this game.
Just because the Broncos are still rebuilding, that doesn't mean they cannot win this game. They have a solid secondary and they have a couple of weapons on offense who could make for some headaches. When it all comes down to this prediction, expect the Steelers to play a similar game to last week and hold onto a low-scoring lead for another win.