The Pittsburgh Steelers will place the sixth seed in the AFC on the line when they face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14.
While the Arizona Cardinals are only 3-8-1, they are a streaky team that could give the Pittsburgh Steelers fits on Sunday. The 7-5 Steelers cannot afford to lose at the moment. The Tennessee Titans also boast a 7-5 record, and Ryan Tannehill has his team on a hot streak. If the Steelers lose in Week 14 and the Titans win, Tennessee will take over the sixth seed.
So, even though the matchup is against one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Steelers cannot take the game lightly. For now, Pittsburgh controls its playoff destiny. That can all change with a loss to Kyler Murray‘s Cardinals.
Taking that into account, here are three bold predictions for the Steelers in Week 14.
3. Pittsburgh rushes for 130 yards
The Steelers have struggled running the ball all season. Pittsburgh rushes for just 90.8 yards per game, the seventh-fewest in the league. Gone are the days where Le’Veon Bell torched defenses for huge games. Right now, the Steelers can’t even get James Conner healthy enough to play. Not that the third-year running back is producing much this season anyway.
However, the Steelers benefit from their opponent this coming weekend. The Cardinals have the 24th run defense in the NFL, allowing 118.8 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry. Hopefully, Arizona’s struggles will cover for Pittsburgh’s shortcomings.
Running the ball well is especially important for the Steelers this season. Whether it’s Devlin Hodges or Mason Rudolph at quarterback, the Steelers cannot pass their way out of bad situations right now. The team’s wide receivers are all injured or very young, as well. 2019 isn’t like last year, where Ben Roethlisberger could throw the ball 42 times a game. The Steelers need the ground game to stay ahead in games.
There’s no official word on Conner’s status for Week 14. If he misses another game, Benny Snell will likely make his second career start. The rookie from Kentucky has 161 rushing yards over the past two weeks. Jaylen Samuels will also see action.