Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Bold predictions for Week 3 vs. Texans

2. Pittsburgh wins by two touchdowns

The Steelers have a nasty habit of keeping games close when they shouldn’t be. Last week, Pittsburgh let Denver score 11 unanswered points in the third quarter, which led to a measly five-point victory against a team playing without its best player and starting quarterback. Even in Week 1, Pittsburgh’s defense hunted Daniel Jones all night and shut down Saquon Barkley, yet the team only won by ten points.

Sooner or later, Roethlisberger and the offense have to post a 30-point game. Up to this point, the Steelers feasted on below-average quarterbacks with little to no mobility outside the pocket. This week, they’re facing one of the league’s top dual-threat quarterbacks. It might take 35 points for the Steelers to win comfortably, but that mark is attainable against Houston’s struggling defense.

1. The secondary rebounds

Giving up 256 yards and two touchdowns to Jeff Driskel wasn’t in Pittsburgh’s game plan last week. However, the 27-year-old backup quarterback picked the team’s secondary apart at times. The defensive front continuously pressured Driskel, but the coverage didn’t hold up. While Joe Haden intercepted a pass, Sunday wasn’t an outstanding performance for the modern Steel Curtain.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Minkah Fitzpatrick, Joe Haden and Steven Nelson all have grades below 67.0. Terrell Edmunds has the worst grade with a 42.0 while Fitzpatrick sits at a 43.8. It’s only two weeks into the season, but Pittsburgh’s defensive backs don’t look the same as they did last year. Hopefully, the unit turns everything around in time to face Watson.