National Football League

Week 7: Patriots - Steelers Preview and Prediction

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:03 a.m. ET

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Sep 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on the sideline during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

In what was supposed to be a AFC Championship Preview between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers is now just a regular game.

Thanks to an injury to QB Ben Roethlisberger last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be without their star QB and will play at a serious disadvantage when they face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots Sunday afternoon.

Aside from the Denver Broncos, the biggest threat to the Patriots in the AFC would be the Steelers, and after suffering a loss to the Miami Dolphins last week, this puts New England alone at the top of the conference.

Pittsburgh still have Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, so not all is lost, but this game will definitely be more challenging for them now.

Quick Stats

Next: Matchup and Player To Watch

Oct 16, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) warms up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup to Watch

Antonio Brown vs Malcolm Butler

Even without Big Ben, this is the most important matchup of the game.

In their last meeting, CB Malcolm Butler had his hands full in his first game as a #1 cornerback. Going up against Brown is no easy task, and he proved it that night finishing with 9 receptions, 133 yards, and 1 touchdown (his score came in garbage time).

Statistically, it looked as if Brown torched Butler, but he held his own, and had a solid performance against arguably the best wide receiver in the league.

Through 6 games this season, Butler has allowed just 1TD and QBs are completing just 46% of their passes against him. Without Roethlisberger, Butler may have an easier day, however, he still needs to be at his best. Shutting down Brown (or at least limiting him) will stop a huge part of the Steelers offense and force them to beat them with other options.

W2W4: Patriots Pass Defense vs Steelers Pass Offense

Player to Watch

Le’Veon Bell

The Patriots defense struggled earlier this season against some of the NFL’s better running backs (David Johnson, LeSean McCoy). They will now have their biggest test on the ground when they try to stop Bell, arguably the best running back in the league right now.

Bell has only faced the Patriots once (2013, his rookie season), and the Patriots limited him to just 74 yards on the day in a blowout victory.

Against the Dolphins last week, Bell had just 53 yards on 10 carries, as the Steelers abandoned the run early. For the Patriots to escape with a win from Heinz Field, they need to stop Bell.

The Patriots front seven has been dealing with injuries throughout the last few weeks (especially the defensive tackle and linebacker position), but if they can get Jamie Collins back on the field along side Dont’a Hightower and Elandon Roberts, it could be a boost.

Oct 2, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) sits on the bench during the second half of the Buffalo Bills 16-0 win over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

X-Factor

Julian Edelman

In the last few weeks, Julian Edelman has been fairly quiet. He has yet to score a touchdown, and also has not eclipsed more than 40 yards in the last 4 games.

Could it be because the Patriots are focusing their offense around their star tight ends?

Perhaps it is because Edelman was re-added to the injury list two weeks ago against the Browns.

Could a lingering foot issue be the issue he has been held back?

Regardless of the answer, this game will be a good one for him to have a bounce back.

In their last matchup against the Steelers, despite the game being dominated by Rob Gronkowski, Edelman had a big performance as well (11 Receptions on 12 Targets and 97 yards). The Patriots tight ends will certainly be a focal point of the Steelers secondary this game, so this should open things up for Edelman.

W2W4: Patriots Rush Offense vs Steelers Run Defense

Keys of the Game

Exploit Weaknesses

The Steelers defense has taken hits in both their front seven and their secondary, which is a huge advantage for the Patriots offense. Due to injuries, they are light up front, which could mean the Patriots will be running frequently.

The Steelers pass rush has also struggled this season, and it won’t get any easier this game as now starters have been ruled out. Unless their offense underperforms during this game, New England should have an easy time moving the ball up and down the field.

Third Down Defense

While their redzone defense performed better during their last game (2 of 4), New England still ranks in the bottom half of the league on third down. The season does not get any easier, so this is an area that will certainly be watched for the upcoming weeks. The Patriots may be a bend-don’t-break defense, but they are certainly bending right now.

Stopping the Run

One would have to think the Patriots’ game-plan against the Steelers’ offense is primarily to stop their run game.

With DeAngelo Williams ruled out, it looks as if Bell will get majority of the carries as per usual. If they can stop the Steelers on the ground by loading up the box, the game-plan gets a lot easier as they force QB Landry Jones to beat them with his arm.

Avoiding Injuries

The Patriots injury report does not seem to be improving that much, which is why they cannot afford to get any more injuries. Sometimes it’s something that can’t be avoid, but hopefully they can leave Pittsburgh without another player added to the list.

Sep 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) audibles against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Last Matchup

2015: 28-21 Patriots

In their season opener coming off a 2014 campaign in which they won the Super Bowl and Tom Brady won (temporarily) his legal battle against the NFL, the Patriots came out firing on all cylinders.

The contest may have ended in a one score game, but it was dominated by the New England. Brady also finished the game with 288 yards and 4TDs.

After the game, Mike Tomlin complained about their headsets not working, and claiming “that’s always the case in New England”. Little did he know the Patriots were having the same issues as well.

5 Bold Predictions for Week 7: Patriots – Steelers

Final Prediction

With Roethlisberger out, the fans are robbed of seeing one of the best games of the regular season. It’s unfortunate to see him on the sideline, and hopefully he heals up quickly.

However, this does give the Patriots an advantage that they will not complain about. If Roethlisberger were playing, this game would be very close. Landry Jones, on the other hand, puts the Steelers in a unfavourable situation.

New EnglandPatriots33

PittsburghSteelers20