Fresh off a stunning comeback win in San Diego, the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) now head home to host the Arizona Cardinals (4-1) in an intriguing non-conference match up. For the Steelers, they will once again have to find a way to earn a victory with Michael Vick stepping in for the injured Ben Roethlisberger.
The Steelers will also face an outstanding Cardinals offense without starters Ryan Shazier and Will Allen available. With both teams in the thick of the playoff race in their respective conferences, this game should be a good barometer for both teams in term of whether or not they are true contenders.
When: 1 pm
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Watch: FOX
Spread: Steelers (+3.5)
Series History: Steelers lead 32-23-3
Last regular season meeting: 10/23/11 Steelers 32, Cardinals 20
Three keys to Steelers victory:
Make life miserable for Carson Palmer:
Palmer certainly knows a thing or two about Heinz Field and dealing with the Pittsburgh Steelers defense from his time with the Cincinnati Bengals. No is going to confuse this current defense with some of the great units Palmer faced with the Bengals, but it is starting to make a name for itself under new defensive coordinator Keith Butler.
One area where the Steelers defense is making a mark is sacking the quarterback, and their 16 sacks are tied for fourth in the league. Getting to Palmer will be key, and it won’t be easy, as the Cardinals offensive line has only allowed seven sacks so far this season, which is tied for fifth-best in the NFL.
If Palmer is given time, it could be a very long day for a Steelers pass defense that faces a tandem of receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown that are off to a great start along with tight ends Darren Fells and Jermaine Gresham who might be primed to take advantage of the Steelers secondary that has struggled to consistently defend the pass.
More Le’Veon Bell (and some DeAngelo Williams too):
Despite of the fact that the Cardinals are only giving up 97 yards per game on the ground, the Steelers will need to establish their ground game in order to control the tempo and keep Vick from having to convert third-and-longs against an opportunistic Cardinals secondary.
The Steelers have the players to do it with the best overall back in the league in Bell, along with the more than capable Williams. I’d like to see the Steelers utilize rookie fullback Roosevelt Nix more as he is proving to be a outstanding, physical blocker who can help pound the Cardinals physically.
Don’t take big risks in the passing game:
The Arizona Cardinals had to be licking their chops after watching the game film of Vick against the Chargers. Three interceptions were dropped by Chargers defenders and that won’t likely happen with the Cardinals, a ball-hawking defense that leads the NFL with 11 interceptions.
Risky throws and mistakes will not only be picked off by former LSU standouts Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, they will be taken to the house.
It’s a catch-22 for Todd Haley, who understands as well as anyone that taking the governor off of Vick is often the best way for him to have success. However, doing that by forcing the issue against a team like Cardinals could be a huge mistake. Being smart in the passing game is a big key Sunday.
Three keys to Cardinals victory:
Make Vick beat you:
The Cardinals have a tremendous secondary and their strength is at cornerback. Force the Steelers offense into third-and-long and make Vick throw the ball down field. Vick is averaging less than 150 yards a game passing as a starter, so despite his terrific work late in the fourth quarter on Monday, the Cardinals will take their chances making Vick try to complete low percentage passes.
Feed off the emotion of Arians coming back to Pittsburgh:
It’s no secret that Bruce Arians “retirement” was nothing more than being forced out by the Steelers back in 2012. Fans constantly called for his ouster despite the Steelers winning a Super Bowl and getting to another with Arians working as the offensive coordinator.
The fans eventually got their wish and Arians has gone on to a wildly successful career as the head coach in Indianapolis and now with the Cardinals. Make no mistake, nothing would make Arians happier than to stick it to the organization that left him high and dry and the fans who relentlessly criticized him while in Pittsburgh.
Continue to run the ball with success:
Who have guessed the Arizona Cardinals are third in the NFL in rushing, and by averaging an eye-popping 135 yards a game? Well they are, and they are doing it with veteran Chris Johnson leading the way with 405 yards already this season, good for the third-best output in the NFL.
After a number of seasons struggling to find the groove that helped Johnson once break the 2,000-yard rushing plateau, Johnson is lighting it up behind an offensive line that is dominating up front. Add Andre Ellington, who’s averaging nearly 9 yards per carry since returning from an early season injury, and the Cardinals have a tremendous rushing tandem that is extremely dangerous.
Prediction:
There are so many reasons to love the Cardinals in this game. In terms of strengths and weaknesses, the Cardinals seem to have an edge in a number of important areas. Will the Steelers be able to establish a running attack against one of the best rush defenses in the NFL? Can Vick get anything going in the passing game with consistency? What about the Cardinals dangerous offense led by Palmer and loaded with talented weapons all over the field?
Everything says go with the Cardinals. Heck, even Vegas is practically daring you to have the guts to take the bait and bet the Steelers as home underdogs. Ok, I’ll take the sucker bet and go against my better judgement. Steelers 26 Cardinals 19
Photo credit: Getty Images
