Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots Preview

The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Foxboro this weekend to take on the New England Patriots. The Steelers have lost 6 of their last 7 games against the Patriots. They’ve fared even worse when playing on the road, having lost 4 in a row at Gillette Stadium.

The biggest difference between this game and the aforementioned games is that the Patriots will be without star quarterback Tom Brady. Ordinarily, losing Brady would have been enough to cause Patriots’ fans to give up on the season. However, the Patriots have gotten surprisingly good play from backup quarterback Matt Cassel. You can read our scouting report on Matt Cassel by clicking here.

Matt Cassel has led the Patriots to a commendable 7-4 record, and second place in the AFC East. More importantly, Cassel has been able to maintain the Patriots passing game. Over the past two weeks, Cassel has had back-to-back 400+ yard passing games. That’s an accomplishment that even Tom Brady has never been able to achieve. So for those of you who are expecting Cassel to blow the game for the Patriots, think again. This kid can play.

Cassel has connected with Randy Moss for 4 touchdowns during the past 2 weeks. Three of those touchdowns occured last week against Miami. Ike Taylor is going to have his hands full containing one of the NFL’s most talented receivers. Though Moss has a 2 inches and a 15 lb. advantage over Taylor, Ike always seems to rise to the occasion when facing his most difficult foes.

A big difference between this year and last year will be the fact that Ryan Clark will be backing up the cornerbacks against the deep ball. Despite his guarantees last year, Anthony Smith proved that he wasn’t up to that task. When Smith had to step in last year when Clark was out, we all learned just how important Clark’s disciplined approach to his position really is to the Steelers.

The Steelers’ top ranked defense should be able to contain the Patriots’ offense. Particularly since the Patriots are without starting running back Laurence Maroney. In Maroney’s absence, the Patriots have relied on back-ups Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. This 3-headed running back committee has made the Patriots the 8th ranked rushing team in the NFL. So while they have no established stars in their running game, they are a competent group. Unfortunately for them, it will take more than competence to move the ball on the ground against the Steelers. Just ask Clinton Portis, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jamal Lewis, Brandon Jacobs, or Fred Taylor.

The battle of the Steelers’ defense versus the Patriots’ offense should be the marquee match-up of the game. The Patriots’ offense has generated 511 and 530 yard of offense over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ defense has held every opponent under 300 yards of offense.

Despite the strength of the Steelers’ defense, their offense has been less than stellar this season. Far too often, they have been forced to settle for field goals rather than touchdowns. The Patriots may be just what the doctor ordered as a cure for that condition. The Patriots have given up more touchdowns this season than any other team in the AFC.

The reason for the vulnerability of the usually strong Patriots’ defense is injuries to key players like Adalius Thomas (out for season with a broken forearm), and Rodney Harrison (out for season with a thigh injury). In addition to key players who have been lost for the season, Mike Vrabel has also been battling injuries, but is likely to play against the Steelers.

The Steelers have had a long layoff since playing the Cincinnati Bengals last Thurday night. The added time should see them well prepared to face the Patriots. It has also given them a little extra time to heal. Running back Willie Parker was back to practice late this week, and is likely to play against the Pats.

When Parker plays, he makes things much easier for the Steelers passing game. Big Ben played well last week, and with Parker running the ball this week, he should see lots of open receivers on Sunday. If he minimizes turnovers, he should have a good game against a depleted Patriots’ secondary.

The one X-factor in this game will be Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick. Belichick has enjoyed tremendous success against the Steelers since he became head coach of the Patriots. He will have his team well prepared to face the Steelers. Unfortunately, it just won’t be enough to offset the Steelers’ superior talent. I predict that the Steelers will win this game by a score of 24-14.

For more information about this Sunday’s Steelers-Patriots game, please see our Key Match-ups by clicking here.

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