Steelers vs. Rams: Writers' picks and predictions for a complex Week 7 matchup

This time last week, fans of the Steelers got to take a breather since they knew their club was on a bye week. They were able to enjoy a week of football without having to worry about their favorite team crushing their hopes of victory. Sadly, the club still had a couple of setbacks even though they did not suit up for a game last weekend.

Every other team in the AFC North were able to win their respective games last weekend while the Steelers sat at home. This allowed the other clubs to gain ground and for the Ravens to retake the lead in the AFC North division for now. The black and gold will have to find different ways to improve their club on the fly for their remaining 12 games ahead.

Things to pay close attention to as the Steelers head to Los Angeles

One thing that is going to set this game apart right away is the differences in quarterback play. Matthew Stafford might be slowing down some due to his age, but he is still the better quarterback heading into this game. He has a lot of quality experience in the league and has won a Super Bowl before. The Rams offense is going to be an issue.

The health and availability of T.J. Watt are also going to be a game-changer for the Steelers as their defense will fail without him. Even if he is in the lineup fully healthy, Pittsburgh's secondary will likely struggle to cover Cooper Kupp and company throughout the contest. There are a lot of issues when it comes to the matchups that are going in the Rams favor.

Another thing to consider is the bad record Mike Tomlin has as a Head coach when the team travels across the country. The Steelers have always struggled in that sense on the road under their current top coach. Add all of those issues with the fact that the black and gold's offense is still terrible, and you might have a recipe for another disaster this week.