An opportunity to make some midseason noise in a tightening AFC North race lingers for the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) as the NFC North division-leading Detroit Lions (6-3) come to Heinz Field for the first time since 2006. The Steelers will try to win their third straight home game after starting the home schedule winless through two. They also will attempt to win a second straight overall after defeating Buffalo last Sunday, which ended a two-game losing skid. Detroit has won twice in a row since losing to the AFC North front-running Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, including an important win at division rival Chicago last week.
Detroit boasts a dangerous offense, led by Pro Bowl WR Calvin Johnson and QB Matt Stafford. The Lions also added Reggie Bush at RB in the offseason, who is averaging 4.7 yards per carry on the season. Johnson is second in the NFL with 904 yards and is tied for second with nine touchdowns. In Week 8, vs. Dallas, he came within seven yards of breaking an all-time NFL record for yards receiving in a game, finishing with 329 in a 31-30 victory. Stafford threw for a season-high 488 yards in that one, but the Lions will oppose a better defense on Sunday. Despite a terrible performance in New England two weeks ago, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau’s unit ranks fourth in the league against the pass with 201.3 yards allowed per game. The defense certainly bounced back positively last week in the win over Buffalo, forcing nine punts and two turnovers sandwiched between an opening drive field goal and a meaningless last-minute touchdown.
Offensively, the Steelers must continue to make positive strides and find rhythm. QB Ben Roethlisberger will throw against the 27th-ranked pass defense, which he will need to take advantage of because the Steelers 27th-ranked rushing offense may struggle against Detroit’s 8th-best rushing defense. Roethlisberger has connected 67 times with WR Antonio Brown, which leads the league. Brown has just scored three times, though, but Jerricho Cotchery has made up for that with six touchdowns of his own. For Detroit, Johnson has 53 catches, 19 more than anyone else (Reggie Bush has 24) and 27 more than any other wide receiver on the roster. Ike Taylor will be charged with primarily covering Johnson, so if he is kept under wraps, Stafford may be hard-pressed to find other quality targets. Pittsburgh’s 29th-ranked rushing defense will certainly need to limit Bush’s typical big-yardage plays, as well as that of Detroit’s second back, Joique Bell. Both Bell and Bush are dangerous out of the backfield in the Lions’ potent passing game, and each get significant carries on the ground.
Defensively, Detroit LB DeAndre Levy has five interceptions, tied with Tennessee’s Alterraun Verner for the league lead. Ndamukong Suh, the physical and often controversial defensive tackle, leads the Lions with 4.5 sacks. The Pittsburgh defense will be without LB LaMarr Woodley, who is doubtful with a calf injury, and DE Brett Keisel is listed as questionable while he deals with plantar fasciitis. Detroit’s most significant injury is to WR Nate Burleson, who is doubtful (forearm), putting more pressure on Johnson and the other Lions receivers.
Pittsburgh and Cincinnati (6-4) get home games this week as the Bengals host the Browns (4-5), while the Ravens (4-5) are in Chicago. With a victory over the Lions here in Week 11, Pittsburgh could possibly pull to as close as 1.5 games behind Cincinnati in the division standings, while the Bengals head to a Week 12 bye and the Steelers move on to two divisional games at Cleveland and Baltimore.
