The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL as they come off a second straight big offensive performance in a Week 9 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Ben Roethlisberger’s second straight six-touchdown performance came in good time, too, in a key AFC North matchup with the rival Ravens.
Pittsburgh has now won three consecutive games and averaged 41.3 points since an ugly Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns. As Roethlisberger makes headlines for his gaudy numbers, the rise of rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant and resurgence of veteran linebacker James Harrison have also contributed to the team’s hot streak.
The Steelers have knocked off two teams with winning records in the last two weeks, now get their chance to hit the road against two of the AFC’s worst teams. Pittsburgh takes on the New York Jets (1-8) this Sunday and clash with the Tennessee Titans (2-6) in Week 11. The odds are in Pittsburgh’s favor to enter its Week 12 bye with an 8-3 record and a shot at pole position in the AFC North standings.
Pittsburgh last week suffered injuries to linebacker Ryan Shazier and safety Troy Polamalu, who will both sit out the Jets game, coach Mike Tomlin said today. But Rex Ryan’s club is struggling and enters the matchup with a 1-8 record and a run of eight straight losses. New York also poses little threat to the Steelers’ offensive momentum, having allowed the most touchdown passes (24) in the NFL.
Two late-season matchups with the division-leading Bengals will play a big part in how the AFC North race shapes up, but the Steelers are seemingly well-positioned to break out of their postseason funk. Jon Ritchie and Ross Tucker broke down the team’s offensive outbursts and handicapped their playoff odds on the Keystone Sports Network. Check out audio from the show below and visit KeystoneSportsNetwork.com and @KSNSportsNet on Twitter for plenty more analysis.
KSN Podcast: Steelers-Ravens review: Can anyone in the NFL stop the red-hot Steelers?