The Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions both enter Week 16 with 8-6 records, yet in very different positions. With a loss, the Steelers remain in control of their destiny as long as they defeat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18. Detroit, on the other hand, is currently outside of the postseason picture in the NFC and needs to win out and get help to get into the postseason.
With that said, if the Steelers win and the Ravens lose to the New England Patriots, a Week 17 win over Cleveland would clinch
the division for Pittsburgh. Our staff weighs in with their picks in Week 16 to predict if Pittsburgh can take that first step and get a win over the Lions.
Joey Bray: Both teams come into this game ravaged with injuries on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions’ secondary could be very thin on Sunday, giving the Steelers’ passing game a chance to continue to take strides.
Pittsburgh is likely to be without not only T.J. Watt but also Nick Herbig. There will only be so much the Steelers can do to create pressure against one of the league’s top passing attacks.
The Steelers have shown they are capable of keeping pace should this game get into shootout territory, given the fact that Aaron Rodgers seems to be playing as confidently as he has all season as of late. At the end of the day, I think this is an incredibly tough matchup for the Steelers, and being down arguably your two best defensive players doesn’t bode well for them. Lions 33, Steelers 27.
Alex Hanczar: The Pittsburgh Steelers’ upward-trending offense heads to Detroit, where they meet a Lions defense that has allowed 30-plus points in each of its last three outings.
The Steelers’ defense, on the other hand, vastly outperformed a hot Miami Dolphins offense a week ago in prime time, even without T.J. Watt. While the Lions’ offense poses arguably the toughest challenge of the year for this Steelers defensive unit, holding the boys in blue to 30 could be enough.
With both teams fighting for playoff positioning, this game has the makings of an intense, and like Ryland said, high-scoring matchup. I fear for the Steelers. Detroit simply has the bigger weapons to outlast the black and gold. Lions 34, Steelers 32.
Mike Nicastro: The Steelers are finally clicking on offense, and that comes at a good time as they’ll face one of the most high-powered teams in the NFL in the Lions. Unfortunately, they’ll be missing their two top pass rushers in Watt and Herbig. They’ve been Jekyll and Hyde against the run this year, and the Lions’ attack of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery better have their attention.
I think Rodgers and the offense will continue to play well, but they can’t win a shootout unless they force timely turnovers and get a bit of luck. Lions win 30-24.
Ryland Bickley: The vibes are good around this Steelers team once again, and a win is certainly possible. That said, all signs point to a shootout in Week 16, which should favor Detroit’s top-ranked scoring offense. I have the Lions winning 37-34.
Jarrett Bailey: If the Steelers’ offense shows up and can land punches for four quarters, they have a shot. However, the Lions’ firepower is much greater than that of Pittsburgh, and that will ultimately decide the outcome. Lions 34, Steelers 24.
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