The Pittsburgh Steelers are matched up with the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, 11/28. Pittsburgh is 3-7 on the year after a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Colts are 4-6-1 after a close loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the losses, both teams seem to be turning things around after horrendous starts to the season.
Last week Pittsburgh lost despite hitting all of my “Stats for Success”. It was the first time it’s happened all season that that has been the case. Let’s see if we can find this week’s Steelers Stats for Success.
Interceptions Forced – 1
Not asking for much here. Just one interception can go a long way. The Colts are 1-3-1 when Quarterback Matt Ryan throws a pick this season. And two of Pittsburgh’s three wins have come when they force an interception. The Steelers defensive backs have struggled this season (Pittsburgh is 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed). An interception or two, particularly by a defensive back, could really go a long way.
Sacks – 2
This is a repeat category and number from last week but it still holds true. Since the return of T.J. Watt the Steelers haven’t quite gotten back to dominating pass rush. They get another chance agains the Colts and Ryan who is fifth in the NFL in sacks taken. The Steelers are 0-4 when they get one or zero sacks this season, and 3-3 when they record at least two. Getting the QB will help those defensive backs we talked about earlier, as well as put the Colts in tougher situations.
Points – 24
It’s another repeat from last week, but points are pretty important. The Colts are one of the few teams who score less than Pittsburgh (15.7 points to 17), which makes putting up a respectable number even more important. The Steelers can’t backslide and get in a pure rock fight with a team that can’t keep up. Against the Bengals they needed to meet a strong offense in the middle by scoring more than usual and holding Cincinnati down. Against the Colts it’s just a matter of reaching a height they can’t.
Pittsburgh has increased their point total each week over the last four games. A mix of improvement on third down, a better running game, and taking care of the football have resulted in this. If they continue all these trends they should be able to outdo the Colts.
If Pittsburgh can make life tough on Matt Ryan by getting to him for sacks and forcing just one interception, and keep doing what they’ve been doing on offense, we could be talking about another win after Monday Night.
Get the latest sports news via Fantom Sports Industries. Follow us on Twitter@Fantom_sports. Like us on Facebook Fantom Sports Industries. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Fantom Sports. Subscribe to our Newsletter! Shop Fantom Sports Industries Merch.
Invest in your favorite athletes like stocks with “Prediction Strike!” Use code FANTOM when you sign up.
