A weekly article we’ll post that gives a brief overview of how the national media views the Pittsburgh Steelers’ odds. Just a skinny summary of notable names who are picking for or against Pittsburgh. We’ll see who gets it right most often. If they offer a score prediction, we’ll include that, too. When applicable, I’ll also toss in the predictions from Dave Bryan and myself, just to see how we stack up.
Today, predictions for the team’s Week Seven game against the Los Angeles Rams.
THOSE PICKING THE STEELERS
Adam Rank/NFL Network: Steelers (20-17)
Vinnie Iyer/The Sporting News: Steelers (20-17)
Nate Davis/USA Today: Steelers (20-16)
Colleen Wolfe/NFL Network: Steelers (20-17)
THOSE PICKING THE RAMS
Mike Florio/Pro Football Talk: Rams (24-13)
Dave Bryan/Steelers Depot: Rams (23-16)
Pete Prisco/CBS Sports: Rams (24-20)
Pat McAfee/Pat McAfee Show: Rams
Daniel Jeremiah/NFL Network: Rams (21-17)
Alex Kozora/Steelers Depot: Rams (23-17)
Chris Simms/Pro Football Talk: Rams (23-21)
A.J. Hawk/Pat McAfee Show: Rams
Maurice Jones-Drew/NFL Network: Rams (23-14)
Totals
Those Picking The Steelers: 4
Those Picking The Rams: 9
Quick Notes
– This has been the largest number of picks against the Steelers we’ve calculated all year.
– As Dave Bryan noted earlier in the week, this will be the first time the Steelers play the Rams in Los Angeles since 1993, Jerome Bettis’ rookie year. The Rams stomped on the Steelers, 27-0, that game. Pittsburgh has never won against the L.A. Rams on the road. But they have won their last four matchups against the Rams franchise, the St. Louis and Los Angeles editions, home or away. Their last loss to the franchise came in 2003 when Marc Bulger outdueled Tommy Maddox and Rams RB Arlen Harris rushed for three touchdowns, accounting for half his career scores.
– Entering Week Seven, the Steelers are the only NFL team with a winning record (3-2) and negative point differential (-31). The Rams are 3-3 with a plus-21 point differential.
– After missing the first month of the season, Rams WR Cooper Kupp has played in the team’s last two games. He’s been excellent, catching 15 passes for 266 yards and one touchdown. If those numbers were pasted onto the Steelers over their five-game season, Kupp would rank fourth in receptions, second in yards, and tied third in touchdowns.
In their 2019 meeting, the Steelers literally shut Kupp out. Four targets, zero catches. We’ll see how successful they are again. Over the last 28 games he’s played in where he didn’t leave early with injury, only once has he been held under 50 yards (a 44-yard performance in Week Three of 2022 against the Arizona Cardinals).
– Passing this one along from Thursday night. We noted Pittsburgh’s red zone issues earlier in the week. In their Week Seven loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New Orleans Saints ran more plays in the red zone (22) than the Steelers have run in the red zone all season (21).
– Should the Steelers come out on top, it’ll be only the second time since 2018 they’ve gone 4-2 or better in their first six games. The other time was 2020 when they began the year 11-0.
– When Mike Tomlin was hired to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach on Jan. 22, 2007, Rams head coach Sean McVay was not of legal drinking age. He didn’t turn 21 until two days later. Two wildly different points in their life but they’ll share the same field Sunday for their second meeting, Pittsburgh winning the first one in 2019.
– With his presumed return, WR Diontae Johnson will look for his first touchdown reception since Week 17 of the 2021 season, a drought of 19 games and a span of exactly 100 receptions.
