Steelers at Redskins: Preview, Predictions, and More
By Hunter Noll
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Washington Redskins
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins both made the playoffs in 2015. However, neither made it that far. The Redskins lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round, while the Steelers were bounced by the Denver Broncos in the divisional round. Both teams bolstered their secondaries in the offseason with hopes of making it further in 2016. The Steelers added Justin Gilbert, while the Redskins picked up Josh Norman.
Related Story: Washington Redskins: How Good Can Preston Smith Be?
Le’Veon Bell missed most of last season with an ACL injury, and will miss the first three weeks of the year due to a suspension. That puts the heavy workload on DeAngelo Williams, while Matt Jones and undrafted rookie Robert Kelley will be the main running backs for the Redskins. The passing attacks will be the focal point of the game, however, and Antonio Brown and Jordan Reed will be sure of that.
Steelers Keys To Victory
1. Protect Ben Roethlisberger: The Redskins secondary is much improved, so Roethlisberger may have a hard time finding open receivers. He’s going to need as much time as possible in the pocket.
2. Run the Ball: While the Washington secondary is considered a strong point, many see their defensive line and backers as average-at-best. Williams is still a very good running back, so feed him the rock.
3. Find someone to cover Reed: The Redskins have a lot of weapons, and their tight end is the best of them. Reed is a matchup nightmare. Limit his catches, and you limit the Redskins passing game.
Redskins Keys To Victory
1. Find someone to cover Brown: The Steelers are in the same boat as the Redskins. They have a lot of weapons, and Brown is the best of them. Norman and Bashaud Breeland will probably be the two getting the assignment of Brown.
2. Get into a rhythm in the running game: The passing game is there, we know that. The rushing attack was almost non-existent last year, and now they don’t have Alfred Morris. It will be interesting to see what the undrafted rookie Kelley can do alongside Jones.
3. Control the clock: Despite a bad rushing game, the Redskins were fourth in the NFL in time of possession. They averaged 31:29 a game. The Steelers averaged only 29:25. The Redskins need to take advantage of this.
Odds
Point Spread: Steelers, -3
Moneyline: Westgate: Pittsburgh -160, Redskins +140
Over/Under: 50
Related Story: Washington Redskins Cornerback Coverage: Kendall Fuller
Prediction
The Redskins defensive line will be the most exploited part of their roster. Sadly for the Steelers, they don’t have Bell. The Washington secondary will give the Martavis Bryant-less Roethlisberger fits, while Cousins will have all his weapons. Dustin Hopkins will put the game out of reach in the closing minutes.
Pick: Washington Redskins: 27, Pittsburgh Steelers: 17