The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, January 4th. The Steelers have won two of their last three and are 4-7, while the Falcons are still in the hunt for the NFC South at 5-7.
We went 3/3 last week in the win last week against the Indianapolis Colts. So let’s look into some key stats for the game this week against the Falcons.
Points – 24
The Steelers have been on a hot streak since their bye week. They’ve scored 20, 30, and 24 points in the last three games. The offense feels sustainable behind an improved run game and a pretty solid game plan in those weeks. Behind a unique offense the Falcons have managed to put up a little over 22 points per game on the season. They haven’t put those numbers up as consistently as of late, but 24 points feels like a strong number for the Steelers to get to in this one.
Atlanta is 2-4 this season when their opponent scores 24 points or more.
Rushing Yards Allowed – <160
I mentioned the Falcons’ unique offense above. That offense is heavily based in running the football. Atlanta has the third fewest pass attempts in the NFL this season. In games that they have rushed for over 160 yards they are 4-3, leaving them at 1-4 in games where they go under that number. The Steelers have only allowed 160 yards on the ground once this season when they gave up 171 to the Cleveland Browns in a loss.
The Steelers run defense is much improved after their struggles last season. If they stick to what they’ve been doing this year, they should be able to limit the Falcons’ offense.
Turnovers – 0
Pittsburgh hasn’t turned the ball over since Week 8 which was before their bye week. Most importantly, that means Quarterback Kenny Pickett hasn’t thrown an interception in that time. The Steelers are 4-1 in games this season when they don’t turn the ball over. Not only would this be a key stat for the team, but it would be great to see Pickett continue this streak.
This Falcons defense has forced a turnover in 9/12 games this season. In the three games they haven’t been able to take the ball away, they’re 0-3.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing pretty well since their bye week. Has it been pretty? Of course not. But is it better, and getting better each week? Yes. If they just keep doing what they’re doing – put up points, take care of the ball, and stop the run – they should be able to leave Atlanta with a victory.
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