The Steelers have won 6 of their last seven games and 10 of their last 12 games, so they are coming into the playoffs hot.  The Broncos have lost three games in a row by a combined score of 88-40!  These two teams didn’t play in the regular season, so they don’t know each other too well.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers are likely going to try to get back to being a pass first team this weekend against the Broncos.  It won’t be easy though as OLB Von Miller (11.5 sacks), DE Elvis Dumervil (9.5 sacks) and the rest of the Broncos’ D is going to be coming after Ben Roethlisberger all day long.  The O-Line is going to have to hold up, because the Steelers won’t beat the Broncos with Charlie Batch at QB.  Roethlisberger’s injuries have sapped him of his mobility, which has caused him to be ineffective lately.  Big Ben is still going to try to get the ball down the field to WRs Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace as the Broncos gave up 231.5 yards passing per game this year.  TE Heath Miller might have a big role in this game if he O-Line can’t keep Dumervil and Miller away from Big Ben.  The Steelers will likely turn to the running game if they get a nice lead in this game with Isaac Redman getting a full workload.

When the Broncos have the ball:  One thing about Tim Tebow…..he played big in big games in college.  Still, it’s not going to be Tebow’s arm that beats the Steelers this weekend.  He will likely take off running the ball as many times as he drops back to pass.  Tebow and Willis McGahee are the motors behind a Broncos’ running game that averaged 164.5 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry this year.  The Steelers gave up only 99.8 yards rushing per game this year, but they gave up 4.0 yards per carry in this game.  The Broncos are notorious for cut blocking so the Steelers’ D-line and LBs will have to protect their knees in this game.  If the Broncos are effective running the ball, it will set up Tebow for some shots down the field to his favorite WR Demaryius Thomas.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 16, BRONCOS 13

The Pittsburgh Steelers could win the AFC North with a win over the Browns in Cleveland and a Ravens’ loss to the Bengals in Cincy this weekend.  The Steelers could also be the #1 seed in the AFC with a Ravens and Patriots loss this Sunday combined with a win over the Browns.  The Steelers beat the Browns in a hard fought, slobberknocker 14-3 in the first meeting in Pittsburgh just three weeks ago.  The Browns have lost five games in a row, but they are playing better with Seneca Wallace at QB.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers are likely going to come out feeding the ball to Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman against a Browns’ D that is allowing 146.5 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry so far this year.  Ben Roethlisberger will likely start this game at QB, but he likely will only play the first half with Charlie Batch finishing this game at QB.  The Browns are likely going to blitz a little more to try to apply more pain to Big Ben.  Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Heath Miller likely won’t play the whole game this Sunday either, unless the Bengals are thumping the Ravens.  Look for Hines Ward to resurface in this game with the starters likely getting some much needed rest.

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns are going to come out pounding Peyton Hillis at the front seven of the Steelers’ D.  The Steelers are giving up 4.1 yards per carry so far this year, so Hillis should have more success than the first time these two teams played.  If the Steelers can slow down Hillis, they can make the Browns a one dimensional offense.  Their passing game has looked better under Seneca Wallace.  He will be trying to get the ball down the field to Earl Little and TE Evan Moore.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 20, BROWNS 17

The Steelers got thumped last Monday Night, 20-3 by the 49ers in San Francisco.  This is a very important game for the Steelers, who could still be the #1 seed in the AFC with 2 wins and some help the last two weeks of the year.  Charlie Batch will be starting at QB tomorrow as the Steelers’ coaching staff finally have seen the light.  The Rams have lost five games in a row and they will be starting #3 QB Kellen Clemens.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  I look for the Steelers to run the ball a lot tomorrow against a Rams’ D that is allowing 153.4 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry so far this year.  Rashard Mendenhall, Isaac Redman and Mewelde Moore could all get a lot of work tomorrow.  The Rams have 36 sacks this year (DE Chris Long has 13), so they are going to be coming after Charlie Batch.  The Steelers will likely keep the passing game short to Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Heath Miller and let them get yards after the catch.

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams are going to feed the ball to RB Steven Jackson both in the running and passing games tomorrow.  They need to get him going against the Steelers, to help slow the pass rush.  The Steelers are going to come after Kellen Clemens relentlessly tomorrow.  He will try to make the Steelers pay for blitzing him by throwing the ball to WR Brandon Lloyd.  His other options at WR and TE aren’t likely to scare the Steelers that much….if at all.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 20, RAMS 7

This is a huge game for both teams as they each would like to get a bye in the first round of the playoffs.  The Steelers have won 4 games in a row and 8 of their last 9, so they come into this game red hot.  The Niners have lost two of their last three games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers will likely want to stay somewhat balanced in this game with Ben Roethlisberger being gimpy.  That might not be possible though as no one runs on the Niners.  They are only giving up 70.5 yards rushing per game and 3.2 yards per carry, so Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman are going to have to fight for every yard they get on Monday Night.  The Niners have a good secondary (18 interceptions) and they are going to come after Roethlisberger like a shark that smells blood in the water.  If Roethlisberger has time to throw the ball, he should be able to make some plays down the field to Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.

When the 49ers have  the ball:  The Niners are a run first team and they are going to be coming after the Steelers with RBs Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter.  The Niners are giving up only 97.0 yards rushing per game, but 4.0 yards per carry.  Teams just don’t stick with the running game against the Steelers, but the Niners will try to stick with it.  The Steelers are going to be coming after QB Alex Smith big time as the Ravens sacked him 9 times just three weeks ago.  It might be a little harder to do with James Harrison out of the game,  but it won’t change the defensive gameplan much.  The Niners are starting to throw to their WRs more than the TEs, so the corners of the Steelers are going to be challenged.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 16, 49ERS 13

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won three games in a row and 7 of their last 8 games as they are red hot right now.  The Browns have lost two games in a row and 5 of their last six.  The Steelers have won 14 of 15 and 20 out of 22 games against the Browns, as it hasn’t been much of a rivalry as of late.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers have turned into a run first team with Ben Roethlisberger playing with a broken right thumb.  They will likely still with that gameplan tomorrow night against the Cleveland Browns.  The Browns are giving up 151.3 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry so far this year, so Rashard Mendenhall should have one of his best games of the year tomorrow night.  The Browns have a good secondary, but they can’t cover for a long time….no secondary can.  So if Roethlisberger has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have success throwing the ball down the field to WRs Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.  Look for TE Heath Miller and WR Hines Ward to handle the short stuff tomorrow night.

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns seem to play offense in a 10-yard box as they never seem to throw the ball down the field.  This will allow the corners and safeties to play closer to the line of scrimmage to help with stopping RB Peyton Hillis.   The Steelers will continue to blitz heavy in this game as Colt McCoy has been banged up the last couple of weeks.  Even if the Browns allow McCoy to throw the ball down the field, his WRs don’t catch the ball very often.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 30, BROWNS 13

The Steelers have won two games in a row and six of their last 7 games, but they weren’t very impressive against the Chiefs last week.  The Bengals got back on the winning track last weekend in beating the Browns in Cincy.  The Steelers beat the Bengals 24-17 just three weeks ago in Cincy.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers would probably like to run the ball more this weekend against the Bengals, but that won’t be easy.  The Bengals are only giving up 92.7 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry so far this year, so Rashard Mendenhall is going to have to fight for every yard he gets.  The Bengals will likely be blitzing a lot against the horrible pass blocking O-Line of the Steelers.  Ben Roethlisberger is likely to get hit a lot this weekend, and the Bengals are going to be coming after his bum thumb.  The passing game is likely going to be of the shorter variety this weekend, so TE Heath Miller will likely be used just as much as the WRs are.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Bengals are probably going to come out of the locker room feeding the ball to Cedric Benson.  Benson is a power runner, so the front seven will likely try to stop him without much help from the secondary.  The Steelers are going to have to get a good pass rush on Andy Dalton, because he’s a gunslinger who likes to throw the ball down the field.  A.J. Green is going to give the Steelers’ CBs fits and they are going to need safety help over the top to deal with him.  TE Jermaine Gresham and WRs Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell are also solid pass catchers for the Bengals.

PREDICTION:  BENGALS 23, STEELERS 20

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off their bye week, so they have had two weeks to get ready for the Chiefs.  The Chiefs have lost three games in a row by a combined score of 82-16!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers might look to run a lot more than usual in this game due to Ben Roethlisberger’s broken right thumb.  The Chiefs are giving up 136.3 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry, so Rashard Mendenhall should have a good game.  The Steelers might keep the passing game shorter this weekend, to put a little less pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and his thumb.  Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Heath Miller are more than capable of getting yards after the catch, so that gameplan should work.

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are likely going to try to run the ball a lot this weekend in an effort to control the clock.  Thomas Jones, Dexter McCluster and Jackie Battle are likely to split carries against the Steelers.  The Steelers must be careful in defending McCluster as he is a big play waiting to happen.  The Steelers will likely be coming after Tyler Palko in an effort to force him into making mistakes as he threw 3 pickoffs last weekend.  He does have a nice set of WRs in Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 30, CHIEFS 6

This is a very important game for the Steelers who are now looking up to both the Ravens and Bengals in the AFC North!  The Steelers have only beaten one team with the winning record (the Patriots) so far this year.  The Bengals have won five games in a row, so they are feeling pretty good about themselves right now.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers are likely going to come out passing the ball this weekend against the Bengals.  Ben Roethlisberger is likely to be under duress as the Bengals have 20 sacks already this year.  But, that is when he is at his best.  The Bengals are giving up 216.8 yards passing per game so far this year and they only have 3 interceptions, so Roethlisberger is going to make plays down the field to WRs Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace.  If the heat is really coming on from the Bengals’ pass rush, shorter passes to Hines Ward and Heath Miller will be in order.  Rashard Mendenhall is likely going to have a long day as the Bengals are only giving up 84.5 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Steelers are giving up 4.2 yards per carry so far this year, so the Bengals are going to give Cedric Benson his fair share of carries.  The Bengals’ O-Line has done a pretty good job of pass blocking for Andy Dalton, but that’s not going to stop the blitzing from the Steelers.  The Steelers need to make Dalton uncomfortable in the pocket, which will force him into making some mistakes (at least that’s what the Steelers hope).  His favorite target down the field has been rookie WR A.J. Green and he is a gamebreaker.  Andre Caldwell, TE Donald Lee and RB Brian Leonard are also key targets for Dalton, so the Steelers’ secondary is going to have to be ready to deal with them to.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 27, BENGALS 17

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won five games in a row, so they are red hot right now.  The Ravens have won 4 of their last 5 games, so they also come into this game feeling good about themselves.  The Ravens absolutely punished the Steelers 35-7 in the season opener in Baltimore this year, so they come into this game extremely confident.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  This is not a good matchup for the Steelers.  They would like to get the running game going with Rashard Mendenhall, but he hasn’t done his best work against the Ravens.  The Ravens are only giving up 89.1 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry so far this year.  Ben Roethlisberger isn’t going to have much time to throw the ball this weekend, so he is going to have to throw short passes and let his receivers do work after the catch.  The Ravens already have 25 sacks this year and OLB Terrell Suggs always plays his game in the Steelers’ backfield and that won’t change tomorrow night.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are going to come out running the ball, so the Steelers front seven is going to have to concentrate on stopping Ray Rice…..which they didn’t do too well in the season opener.  Joe Flacco torched the Steelers in the season opener and he’s likely going to have a lot more time that usual to throw the ball with LaMarr Woodley out and James Harrison rusty and gimpy if he does play.  The Steelers only have 2 interceptions this year as their pass defense hasn’t been near as good as in year’s past.  Look for Flacco to throw the short stuff to Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice, Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta.  Rookie Torrey Smith is his go to man when he wants to throw a bomb!

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 23, STEELERS 16

The Steelers are looking to exorcise some demons tomorrow at Heinz Field.  The Patriots are coming in for a visit and Tom Brady is 6-1 (4-1 at Heinz Field) in his career against the Steelers.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers probably don’t want to engage the Patriots in a fire fight.  Look for them to try to control the ball and the clock but trying to establish a running game with Rashard Mendenhall.  The Patriots don’t have much of a pass rush, so maybe the Steelers’ O-Line will be able to keep them out of the backfield.  Ben Roethlisberger could have a lot of success throwing against the Patriots’ secondary (they are giving up 322.2 yards passing per game).  The Patriots will likely be dropping seven players into coverage, so Roethlisberger can’t afford to be sloppy with the football tomorrow.

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to spread the field and let Tom Brady throw to where the mis-matches are.  This is not a good team for the Steelers to be playing right now, because Tom Brady’s line is good at keeping him clean.  He always tears the Steelers’ defense up and I don’t think tomorrow will be any different.  TEs Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski are too fast for LBs to cover and they are too big for the Steelers’ safeties to deal with.  WRs Wes Welker and Deion Branch also are going to give the Steelers’ CBs fits in this game.  If the Steelers put too many DBs on the field, Brady will turn around and hand the ball off to BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who is one of the more underrated RBs in the NFL.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 38, STEELERS 27