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Twelve members of the Turf Show Times’ staff make their Week 3 prognostication of the Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Louis Rams game. Here’s what they’ve got to say...
Sean Wilkinson [@Papa_Lurch]
I'll never understand this team. A week after dropping the Seahawks in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated, they're bulldozed by the lowly Redskins. For every ounce of hope that this team gave us in Week 1, they gave us just as much - if not more - disappointment in Week 2. Now we're left trying to decipher which team will show up this week vs. Big Ben and the Steelers.
While the Steelers D isn't nearly as formidable as it once was, they have transitioned nicely to the new pass-happy NFL. Between Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh now brings a potent offense to the table instead of a steel curtain. Judging by what Washington did to our Defense last week, this could be ugly.
There will be no stopping the Steelers Offense - the best that the Rams could do would be adopting a 'bend but don't break' mentality. The Steelers have arguably the best WR and RB in the NFL and their QB is no slouch either. The Rams will have to exploit the absence of Marukice Pouncey if they are going to be successful on defense.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Rams face an average defense that is 26th in the NFL in YPG allowed and is giving up 23 PPG. They can still pressure the QB though and have 7 sacks through 2 games which is just one behind #sackcity. The Rams OL is going to have their work cut out for them again.
I'm an eternal optimist and one of the biggest homers you will ever meet. But even I have a hard time envisioning the Rams being successful in week 3. The Defense will have it's hands full, as will the OL. I don't think the Rams will come out flat 2 weeks in a row, but I also think that won't be enough.
Prediction: Steelers win 27-17
sergey606 [@thatsergey]
I think this will be a close game at least at the end of the game. At least a last minute TD will make it seem like a close game. Le'Veon Bell will be held to around or even less than 100 yards on the ground, but probably another 50 yards through the air. Big Ben will toss for 300 yards and a couple TDs. No way our secondary contains Brown, Wheaton (Go Beavs!), etc. all day.
Todd Gurley or not, the Rams will move the ball better this game than they did against Washington. Foles will look more like himself. Let's hope Brian Quick can finally see some game action, which will help. I can see Tavon breaking a huge play for a TD to keep the Rams in the game.
There is just something about Fisher and the way he gets the teams ready versus tough opponents (which Steelers clearly are), then take a whole week off before games versus bad to average opponents. That's what keeps him around as a coach for so long, those couple wins versus playoff teams.
Prediction: Steelers 30-27 in OVEEEEERTIME
Tevin Broner [@T_Bron]
I will not overcomplicate things, the Rams will either win a close game or lost by two touchdowns. The Rams matchup better with the Steelers than the Redskins.
I know, Tevin you're crazy, how is that even possible. Well it's based on the line play on both sides of the ball for both teams. The Rams offense will just have to come and play this week.
Prediction: Rams win 21-17
EddieP [@iAmEddieP_]
The Steelers aren't the same of old. Antonio Brown is a top notch receiver. Le'Veon Bell is a top notch running back. Big Ben is on of the top quarterbacks. That offense should be one of the best by season's end.
On defense, the Steelers aren't the famed "Steel Curtain" but they're definitely no slouch. The linebacker corps is solid. They're pass rushers will give Greg Robinson & Rob Havenstein issues.
I do not see the Rams' "power run" offense going this either, with Todd Gurley or not. That line cannot open up running lanes.
Like against Washington, we cannot predict how the passing game will go either. Jared Cook and Benny Cunningham were vital in the passing game in week one, but had plenty of drops week two.
The Rams are just too inconsistent.
Prediction: Steelers win 38-17
VTRamsFan [@PeterDunbar]
The Rams laid down the stinker last week... the one we are so used to, but this one stung a bit worse. Even though we beat Seattle in week one, let's all be reminded that could just of easily been a loss. This team's OL has some real problems, and it's not just at the talent level. When I see Cook lined up in the backfield asked to block a left DE alone, while Greg Robinson goes upfield to take on a LB who isn't even blitzing.... on pass plays with 5-7 step drops... that is extremely concerning. Big Ben and the Steelers should score points this week, and Ben is a master at fake pumps and dictating corners and safetys. Look for the Rams to do a little better on the ground this week against a weaker defensive front, but in the end the Steelers come out on top.
Prediction: Steelers win 27-20
Mike Dietrich [@dvond]
Positive Mike may have left but there is something odd about this weeks again. Before last week's debacle, the Rams were going to 2.5 favorites, now after last week the Steelers opened up 2.5 favorites and is now down to only 1. Vegas is always ahead of national and local media. The Steelers will be hard to stop but may have some OL issues and Rams defense usually play well at home. But they also struggle against very good pass offense which the Steelers are. The sieve on what the Rams call an OL is the biggest issue and what I see as the continuous downfall of the 2015 Rams.
Prediction: Steelers win 34-24
northwestRAMSfan [@troilus22]
After the first two week the Rams are pretty much where I thought they would be with a 1-1 record. Sure I expected them to drop a close low-scoring slugfest to the Seahawks, and then whoop the Redskins but here we are.
The Steelers will come into the game feeling pretty good about their offense; an offense adept at hitting the big play could pose challenges for the Rams. The return of Le’Veon Bell from suspension should also help keep the Rams defense honest.
In order for the Rams to avoid a repeat of last week they need to do two things well, run the ball and stop the run. I know, I should be a head coach in the NFL right? The problem is the Steelers defense is 6th in the NFL at 3.5 yards per attempt allowed, versus the 26th ranked Redskins (who the Rams recently struggled againt) who give up 4.5 yards per attempt so far in 2015, so the going may be very tough for the Rams running game.
If the Rams can't find a way to even out the Time of Possession game, their defense will get worn out again. The Rams are better at home, and generally play better against quality opponents. If the Rams can manage to get to Roethlisberger with regularity then they will have a chance.
The matchup to watch is Aaron Donald vs Cody Wallace. Without Maurkice Pouncey the Steelers have turned to the journeyman to hold down the fort, against Donald this should have predictable results. Can Donald dominate enough on the inside to completely wreck the Steelers gameplan? Inside pressure is the toughest for a QB to compensate for, so there is at least a little hope for the Rams defense. Overall I expect the Rams to come out with much more effort against the Steelers than last weekend, I am just not sure it will be enough.
Prediction: Steelers win 23-20
misone [@MightyOrMisone]
The Rams lost to the Redskins, oh noooooo they'll never beat another team again.
At least that tends to be the initial reaction from people. The truth is the Redskins have a good front seven. They are very good at stopping the run and rushing the passer. These were not things the Rams just sucked so much at that they lost. Give the Redskins the credit they deserve.
With that being said those are also the very things that the Steelers struggle with. Simply put the Steelers defense is not that good. Which is weird considering we're talking about the frickin Steelers. They have a middle of the pack unit. The secondary is the biggest issue. If ever there was a game for the Rams to really get their run game working followed by play action, this is it.
The Steelers offense is another story. They might have the most explosive offense in the NFL. Lucky for the Rams Martavious Bryant will not be available due to suspension. But Le'Veon Bell will be returning. Big Ben to Antonio Brown is lethal. To win this game the Rams need to do two things. One is stop the screen, they will throw out of the back field a lot. Stop that and you will get them in third in long. Two is plug up the intermidiate parts of the field. Antonio Brown is the best route runner in the NFL and can really kill you from anywhere. But the bulk of his damage is done in the 10-15 yard range. Janoris Jenkins will face his toughest test as a pro.
I don't believe the steelers have a lot of success running the ball in this one as the defense will be motivated, and Aaron Donald will be a terror as usual. I see this game getting real good in the fourth quarter.
Prediction: Rams win 31-26
GoRamsGo
Boy, did I swing and miss last week. 31-10? We didn't even get the W, let alone a big W.
That said, I think that just shows how unpredictable this team is. When you think they're good, they let you down. When you're ready to call it a loss, they win. They're the ultimate overachievers in big games and disappointment in just about every other game.
So, with that in mind, I'll say they have a shot. Sure, we had a hard time against Washington's offense, but is that really the defense we think we have? I certainly don't think so; it was an aberration. We fared rather well against Seattle, but maybe that was because of Seattle's poor offensive line matched up against our skilled defensive line.
We'll definitely need to rely on a strong offensive outing to win this one. Our defense is better than what happened last week, but the Steelers are heavily talented on offense. Look for them to utilize LeVeon Bell heavily on his return as they seek to capitalize on a similar success as the Redskins had.
Nick Foles needs to be on his A game. Having Todd Gurley would be a huge help, and our run game has to look monumentally better than last week. Our offensive line needs to really step it up because they just don't look good, and that's a huge problem. Hopefully Brian Quick actually plays because I'm not quite sure what the deal there is. If our offense clicks, our superior defense could stop them just enough times to bring home a win. But, because they made me look stupid last week, I can't place the same faith in them this week; at least if they make me look dumb yet again, we'll be 2-1.
Prediction: Steelers win 28-17
taiko [@RamsHerd]
In my season preview, I picked the Rams to go 11-5 after a 2-3 start to the schedule. With road games against the red-hot Cardinals and Packers coming up after this week, the only way the Rams get to 2-3 is by knocking off a cold-and-hot Steelers team at home on Sunday.
As talented as our defense is, we don’t seem to have an answer for teams with strong offensive lines like Washington. Pittsburgh’s OL has been very good to start the season despite losing Maurkice Pouncey. This means that, like week 1, the burden of winning this game will fall on Nick Foles and the offense. Playing on home turf should help our track-speed players, and help our OL communicate and set assignments, and Foles will be better protected vs a weakened Steelers line. A big rookie debut from Todd Gurley could push us over the top.
Not a guarantee, but if the Rams win, it will be on the order of 30-28.
Prediction: Rams win 30-28
RamBuck [@lannyosu]
I decided not to hand-write mine this week, as I need to get a new fountain pen...
After watching the coach's film of last week's loss to WAS, it looked like the Rams' inexperienced OL was, overall, not that bad in pass protection but really struggled to sustain blocks and create multiple cutback lanes in the run game. Tre Mason appeared to be shaking off some rust as well, so perhaps my expectations for immediate "ground and pound" success were exceedingly premature. We should know by now that the Rams' offense takes its time getting started.
The Rams' MO is pretty much run the ball from a variety of looks to set up the play action deep ball, which I have no problem doing as long as the Rams control the clock. So far, the Rams are woefully behind the curve in time of possession, averaging less than 24 minutes a game (31st in the NFL). This will be completely unacceptable against a quick striking and dangerous Steelers offense. The Rams will need to come out on top of the time of possession battle to take this one away, and play "bend but don't break" defense as Big Ben, Bell and Brown (the Triple B's) always find a way to move the chains.
I'm hoping this is a close one, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Rams find themselves in a bit of a hole at the half unless the Rams' defense can get after Big Ben early.
Prediction: Steelers win 35 - 24
3k [@3k_]
Prediction: Steelers win 27-16
Brandon Bate [@NoPlanB_]
There’s a lot of writing above, so I’ll just keep it short and sweet. To me, it’s a battle of the Rams’ defense vs. the Pittsburgh offense. And it’s not one I see favoring the Rams.
There aren’t many QB-RB-WR trios in the NFL as talented as Roethlisberger-Bell-Brown. The Rams have struggled against the run to start the 2015 season [the Steelers have not], and Antonio Brown vs. Janoris Jenkins is already something I’m prepared to forget.
The Rams may put up some points, but I’d assume they’re late in the game, when it’s already out of reach. The Steelers offense is just too much in this one.
Prediction: Steelers win 34-24