The Denver Broncos will travel to Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday afternoon in NFL Football action.
The Denver Broncos dropped to 3-1 on the season after being defeated by the Baltimore Ravens, 23-7, this past Sunday. Denver was able to race out to a quick 7-0 lead against the Ravens, however, the offensive struggled the rest of the game and the Broncos could not fight back after going into halftime trailing by a 17-7 margin. Denver was outgained by Baltimore by a 406-254 margin and lost the turnover battle by a 1-0 margin. Leading the way for the Broncos was TE Noah Fant who had 6 receptions for 46 yards & 1 TD.
On the season, Denver is averaging 20.8 ppg on 373.0 total yards per game (251.3 passing yds/g; 121.8 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Denver has been led by QB Teddy Bridgewater who has completed 72.1% of his passes for 892 yards, 5 TD, & 0 INT. Bridgewater had to leave the game against Baltimore due to a concussion, however, early indications look as if he will be ready for this matchup against the Steelers. The top receiving threats for the Broncos have been Courtland Sutton (18 rec, 257 yards), Tim Patrick (15 rec, 213 yards, 2 TD), & Noah Fant (18 rec, 156 yards, 2 TD). Leading the way for the Broncos backfield has been the duo of Melvin Gordon III (51 att, 248 yards, 2 TD) & Javonte Williams (46 att, 186 yards, TD).
Defensively, Denver is holding their opponents to an average of 12.3 ppg on 285.3 total yards per game (215.3 passing yds/g; 70.0 rushing yds/g).
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their 3rd straight game and dropped to 1-3 on the season after being defeated by the Green Bay Packers, 27-17, this past Sunday. Pittsburgh struggled again on the offensive end and could not fight back after going into halftime trailing by a 17-10 margin. Pittsburgh was outgained by Green Bay by a 367-282 margin and lost the turnover battle by a 2-1 margin. Leading the way for the Steelers was WR Diontae Johnson who had 9 receptions for 92 yards & 1 TD.
On the season, Pittsburgh is averaging 16.8 ppg on 313.5 total yards per game (258.3 passing yds/g; 55.3 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Pittsburgh has been led by RB Najee Harris who had 185 rushing yards & 1 TD on 55 carries while also hauling in 26 receptions for 178 yards & 1 TD. QB Ben Roethlisberger has completed 64.1% of his passes for 1033 yards, 4 TD, & 4 INT. The top receiving threats for the Steelers have been Diontae Johnson (23 rec, 233 yards, 2 TD), Chase Claypool (15 rec, 211 yards), & JuJu Smith-Schuster (15 rec, 129 yards).
Defensively, Pittsburgh is allowing their opponents to average 23.3 ppg on 367.0 total yards per game (268.0 passing yds/g; 99.0 rushing yds/g).
The Broncos are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall and 4-1 ATSW in their last 5 road games. The Steelers are 2-5 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
Denver is coming off their first loss of the season, however, I think the Broncos can rebound in this one especially if Teddy Bridgewater is ready to go. The Broncos were impressive putting up 27-points on the road in their season opener against the Giants and I just can’t trust a Pittsburgh offense that is going to have its hands full with Denver’s 4th ranked scoring defense. This should be a low-scoring game, however, as I trust the Broncos offense much more than I do the Pittsburgh offense right now, I’m taking Denver in this pick-em. Good Luck!
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
