Cleveland Browns, chaotic AFC North all tied up in knots
Steelers look rusty versus Raiders
Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders shredded the Steelers for 382 yards through the air. That came as a shock. Yes, the Steelers were missing Joe Haden and linebacker Devin Bush, and nose tackle Tyson Alualu and outside linebacker T.J. Watt were injured during the game. Nevertheless, it was still shocking that anyone could come into Pittsburgh and pile up that much real estate against the Steelers defense, which is thought to be among the NFL’s best. Moreover, the Steelers are supposed to be very deep, so injuries are a poor excuse.
The Steelers defense held Peyton Barber to 32 yards on 13 carries, an average of only 2.46 yards per carry, so the big guys up front were doing their job, but they lost the air war.
Pittsburgh struggled to protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked twice, and pressured several times but otherwise performed at a high level. He threw 40 times with 27 completions and 295 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The Steelers still cannot run the ball, much like the end of last season. 14 carries, 39 yards, and 2.79 yards per carry will not cut it in the NFL. Last season their problem was an aging deteriorating offensive line. This season, they are an inexperienced line that may get better as the season progresses, but No! they are not there yet, to paraphrase Homer Simpson.
Roethlisberger is able to compensate to some extent for a substandard offensive line, as he did last year, by virtue of his quick release. Najee Harris is a stud running back, but even he has been unable to create yardage behind the Steelers’ weak offensive line. If the opposing defense knows that the Steelers have no running threat, that will of course make Roethlisberger’s job all the more difficult.
The media is on Roethlisberger’s case, but in reality, 295 yards and 67.5% completion percentage isn’t that horrible. It is possible for Pittsburgh to eke out some ugly wins if they can get their defense back up to snuff and mature that offensive line into adulthood.
Say all the bad things you want about the Steelers offense, but if they truly have the best defense in the division — and that is a major if, given the inability to contain Derek Carr and the Raiders — there is every possibility of staying in the playoff hunt.
Roethlisberger has received one of the lowest grades
All in all, stock in the AFC North should be vectoring down. No team, including Cleveland, has impressed. The best we can say is that it is a long season and there is an opportunity to improve.
The Browns were thrilled in the off-season to add seven new starters on defense plus to return Grant Delpit and Greedy Williams from injury, since they never played a down of live-action last season. Maybe that is not all positive. These talented players literally have not learned to play like a team. They can improve as the season goes on. 17 games is more like a marathon and not a sprint.
Much thanks to the Bengals for generating scouting reports on the Bears for us. We are hoping to not see Andy Dalton, despite all the bad buzz in Ohio concerning the Red Rifle. The Bengals have some problems that start with ownership and the front office, not with the quarterback. Dalton deserves a certain level of respect.
The Steelers and Bengals play each other, so unless they tie, there will be some separation. The odds, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook, currently show the Steelers favored by -4.5 points (-110).
The Browns are favored by -7.5 (-350). For those who are interested, the implied winning percentage is in the range of 75.2%, if you assume the oddsmakers have done their homework. Note, however, that no one was projecting the Bears as a major world power in football this season. They were looking at 7.5 wins as the over-under in an overall weak division. Sources out of Chicago are saying that Dalton will start over Fields if he is healthy, as well he should.
Next. Browns players that could see increased usage. dark
The Ravens are also prohibitive favorites against the Detroit Lions at -10.5 points. Ohio sports fans have not seen a line like that since Ohio State versus Oregon. Does Baltimore have this one in the bag?