Wrapping Up a Tough Win for the Sim Steelers
The sim was in favor of the Steelers once again, particularly with Kenny Pickett. Even without Diontae Johnson, he was able to complete 68% of his passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns. Najee Harris is more likely the player of the game, however, as he came up in big spots for Pittsburgh throughout the contest.
On just 15 touches he had over 100 yards from scrimmage, 52 on the ground, and 49 through the air to go along with his touchdown score. George Pickens got in on the fun, still proving to be a valuable weapon in Madden with five receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Cleveland's offense was able to get more going against the Steelers, still holding off pressure from TJ Watt and Highsmith in the process. Watson was fairly inaccurate on the night, completing only 58% of his passes, but he made some rather big plays all the same, totaling 220 yards and a touchdown through the air and another on the ground.
The Browns probably didn't lean on Nick Chubb as much as they could have, giving him just 13 carries for 61 yards with a catch for 18 yards tacked on. Amari Cooper was lethal throughout the contest, hauling in seven catches for 112 yards, catching the Browns lone touchdown pass.
Last week the sim predicted the Steelers would dominate the San Francisco 49ers, but as we all saw on Sunday, Pittsburgh was the one that was dominated. It's more reasonable to expect this week's sim to be somewhat closer to reality, even if the path to the final score is drastically different.
Regardless, a tough game where the offenses and defenses are equally impactful to the outcome of the game is what many fans expect in Week 2. We'll have to see if Madden is any closer in its predictions come Monday night.