Pittsburgh comes off the bye week, preparing for one of the toughest end-of-season stretches in the NFL. Injuries could always alter those expectations, but this week poses a new challenge. Washington has a commander's team that requires respect. They were a laughingstock just a year ago, but with rookie Jayden Daniels at quarterback, they are primed to make the playoffs.
After a week of rest, the Steelers must find ways to keep their positive momentum on offense going. Their defense has shown signs of weakness before they hit the bye week. If the black and gold want a shot at winning this game, they will have to find ways of slowing down the Commander's lucrative offensive attack. Pittsburgh will also have to find ways of ending drives in touchdowns rather than field goals.
This matchup could go either way but expect most picks and predictions to go in Washington's favor. They are playing well right now, but the Steelers do have a good sign from history on their side. Mike Tomlin's teams have always been good coming off of a bye week. He has also been good at preparing against rookie quarterbacks throughout his career. It won't be easy, but Pittsburgh could win.
Still Curtain Expert panel predictions have Commanders being too much
"Coming off the bye week, the Steelers look to keep the theme of winning alive and well against the Commanders on the road. Things will not go as planned. The Steelers offense will struggle to score points and the defense will allow two big plays that will decide the game." - Eric C Hassel (Commanders 24-17)
"I think this is going to be a really good game. Daniels is playing historically well and is a threat on the ground to boot. The Steelers offense woke up and can match up well against a mediocre Commanders passing defense. At the end of the day though, I think this is a shootout, and until the Steelers can improve their redzone issues, they don't match up well in a game like that." - Andrew Falce (Commanders 31-26)
"Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers have been great against rookie quarterbacks, but they haven't come face-to-face with Jayden Daniels yet. The electrifying signal-caller is having an outstanding season, and containing him won't be easy. The Commanders are a better team than anyone expected, and their offense is racking up 29.2 points per game (3rd in the NFL entering Week 10). Meanwhile, the Steelers will have players returning from injuries who haven't seen the field in weeks. Despite coming off a bye, Pittsburgh could have a hard time shaking the rust off on the road." - Tommy Jaggi (Commanders 24-20)
"The Steelers finally are able to get healthy on both sides of the ball. Some key pieces in the slot returning and this pass rush will be too much for the rookie QB Jayden Daniels." - Blaze (Steelers 26-23)
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"The Pittsburgh Steelers offense will look even sharper after a well timed bye week. I expect Russell Wilson and George Pickens to connect early and often. Pittsburgh Steelers defense gets the job done." - Loyal Ricks Jr. (Steelers 30-17)
"Pittsburgh is coming off the bye and getting healthy. They received a boost on both sides with Mike Williams and Preston Smith added at the deadline to help in the stretch run. The team will face their first test in a gauntlet of the second half but the offense will build on recent success and the defense will hold down a potential Commanders offense to win." - Brandon Kring (Steelers 23-20)
Final predictions has Steelers finding a way to squeak out a win
Score Prediction: Steelers 25, Commanders 23
Hard to excuse Washington's offensive attack. One thing to circle for the Commanders is the types of teams they haven't been able to beat yet. They have only faced three legit playoff-contending teams the Buccaneers, Ravens, and Bengals. They only beat the Bengals out of those three, and that was a shootout. They lost the other two games by a touchdown or more.
In no way is it being said the Commanders are frauds as their offense has been outstanding this year and their defensive front is a problem for the rest of the league. It must be pointed out that they have struggled against poor opponents before like the Bears, which lucked out with a Hail Mary and barely beat the putrid Giants last week. Perhaps Washington isn't as much of a juggernaut as imagined.
Pittsburgh's defense needs to come alive in this game and take care of business. The Commanders are going to move the ball up and down the field on offense, but this game will come down to turnovers and third-down conversions. The Steeler's defense must contain Daniels and apply pressure, so he is forced into poor decisions. If they fail to do that, then it could get ugly in a hurry.
When it comes to the Steeler's offense, they should be able to run the ball against a fairly poor run defense with Washington. If they can keep the ground game humming like it has been, then that will keep Daniels off the field and give the defense a chance to breathe. A strong rushing attack will give the black and gold a shot to throw the ball deep down the field with success.