After once again doing just enough for the victory against the Atlanta Falcons (5-9), the Steelers need to win out the season against two very tough opponents to make the playoffs.
The Steelers put together a solid offensive and defensive effort in their 27-20 victory over the Falcons that kept them in the playoff hunt as a wild card. Atlanta coming into the game was 6th in overall offense and 32 in defense. The score shows that the Steelers offense was less than expected against the worst defense in the game, while the defense actually didn’t do as bad as expected, holding a team that usually scores in the mid 30s to just 20 points. The defense actually determined the outcome of the game with a William Gay pick six which was the margin of victory.
The Falcons held Le’Veon Bell in check on the ground with just 47 yards on 20 carries but weren’t able to stop the Ben Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown combination. Ben was 27 of 35 for 366 yards with 10 passes for 123 yards going to Brown. It kept Brown on top of the NFL in receptions with 115 and moved him ahead of the injured Julio Jones, from Atlanta, with 1298 receiving yards.
Quarterback Matt Ryan missed Jones but still filled the air with passes as he was 26 of 37 for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns, with his main target being Harry Douglas with 10 receptions for 131 yards, but the Steelers held the running game in check, holding Steven Jackson to just 46 yards on 11 carries.
The Steelers once again had a problem scoring touchdowns but Le’Veon Bell did score two rushing touchdowns.
For the day Bell was held in check on the ground but had 5 catches for 72 yards.
For the year Ben is on a record setting pace. He has 4415 yards on 366 of 545 passing for 29 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions. Bell remains among the NFL leaders in rushing with1276 yards on 262 carries. He also has 76 catches for 765 yards.
The whole world is waiting for the season finale between the Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, which will determine the AFC North title and give the winner an automatic playoff berth. That is if the Steelers get past the Kansas City Chiefs (8-6) and the Bengals get past the Denver Broncos (10-3), because if either team falters the Baltimore Ravens (9-5) are waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces.
Up next for the Steelers are the Chiefs who are coming off an impressive 31-13 victory over the lowly Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs are solid on defense but only average on offense.
The defense is ranked among the best in the league and should challenge the Steelers, but when Ben is on no defense is really going to stop him. Which means the Steelers should have just enough to beat Kansas City and clinch at least a wild card spot.
The Chiefs offense is led by Alex Smith who has had a decent season, 2954 yards on 272 of 419 and 18 touchdowns passing, which makes him an average quarterback. And he doesn’t have any great go to guys either. He was 18 of 30 for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Raiders.
Jamaal Charles is their top rusher with 950 yards on 184 carries. He had just 52 yards on 12 carries against the Raiders. Through the air they have Travis Kelec, 56 receptions for 747 yards, Dwayne Bowe 51 catches for 667 yards and Charles out of the backfield has 33 catches for 235 yards.
The Bengals soundly defeated the pretending Cleveland Browns (7-7) 31-0 to stay on top of the division, showing everyone that they are for real, and if anyone wants the crown they must come through them and bring their A game.
The defense was outstanding as they shut the Browns offense down, both on the ground and through the air. Rookie quarterback Johnnie Manziel was held to 10 of 18 for just 80 yards
The Bengals jumped off to a lead and pretty much kept the ball on the ground behind Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard who had 146 and 79 yards respectively on 40 carries. Andy Dalton was just 14 of 24 for 117 yards. A. J. Green who torched the Steelers had just 5 catches for 49 yards.
The Ravens kept pace with a tough win over the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-12. The Ravens are looking a lot like the Steelers. They play to their competition, playing just well enough for the victory. The win moved them ahead of the San Diego Chargers for the second wild card spot as the Chargers lost to the Denver Broncos 22-10.
This weekend games in the AFC North: Steelers vs. the Chiefs; the Bengals vs. the Broncos; the Browns vs. the Carolina Panthers (5-9); and the Ravens vs. the Houston Texans (7-7).
Predictions: Steelers over the Chiefs, Broncos over the Bengals, the Browns over the Panthers, and the Ravens over the Texans. Which would put the Steelers in first place and in the drivers’ seat going into the final game of the season.
