The suddenly struggling Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly find themselves in a must-win game as Week 16 of the NFL season kicks off Thursday night in St. Louis, with Pittsburgh a 7.5-point favorite (over/under: 43.5) on WagerWeb.com.
Consecutive losses to New England, 34-13, and Jacksonville, 29-22, have dropped Pittsburgh into a tie for the AFC North lead with Cleveland.
"Do we feel good about where we are right now? Absolutely not," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said.
"Would we feel better if we had started the season 1-4 instead of 4-1? We probably would have. That's the mental toughness of this game - you have to stay singularly focused and in the tunnel. Every team faces trials and tribulations."
Still, the Steelers (9-5) are in control of their destiny, as they hold the tiebreaker over the Browns and end the regular season with matchups against St. Louis (3-11) and Baltimore (4-10). Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North with a win Thursday and a Cleveland loss at Cincinnati on Sunday. Even if the Browns win and the Steelers lose, Pittsburgh would secure a playoff spot if Tennessee falls to the New York Jets on Sunday.
It has been the Pittsburgh defense that has been the main culprit for the Steelers' mini-slide. While still the top-ranked overall unit and allowing only 16.7 points per game, the defense has two games without a sack. And Pittsburgh gave up 224 yards and a touchdown on the ground to Jacksonville, while the Patriots passed for 399 yards and four TDs vs. the Steelers.
"Defensively, we can't play no worse than we are now," nose tackle Casey Hampton said.
And starting outside linebacker Clark Haggans (sprained left knee), left tackle Marvel Smith (back inflammation) aren't expected to play, and defensive end Travis Kirschke (rib cartilage) also may be out Thursday.
In addition, the offensive line hasn't protected Ben Roethlisberger well lately; Big Ben was sacked five times against the Jaguars to bring the team's total to a 43 on the season - second-worst in the NFL.
Running back Willie Parker leads the league in rushing yards but hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 8 - in fact, he only has two on the season.Yet the Steelers still have the league's eighth-ranked scoring offense, averaging 23.6 points per game.
St. Louis, meanwhile, has been one of the most banged-up teams in the NFL this season, but star RB Steven Jackson has been excellent since returning from a groin tear.
Jackson had with 143 yards on 24 carries - his first 100-yard game since Week 3 - in St. Louis' 33-14 loss to Green Bay on Sunday and has rushed for 862 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games.
However, Rams QB Marc Bulger has been dealing with injuries most of the season and has been off: He was 20-for-39 for 219 yards, one TD and two INTs in the loss to Green Bay.
St. Louis should keep this game close for a half: The Rams are outscoring their opponents by a 144-132 margin in the first half of games this year, but are getting pummeled by a 217-76 spread in the second half. In 10 of St. Louis' games this year, the club has posted three points or less in the second half.
Much of the blame can be pinned on the Rams' defense, which is coming off another terrible game. St. Louis is ranked 27th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 24.9 points per contest.
xThe lowdown: This will be the first meeting between Pittsburgh and St. Louis since Oct. 26, 2003, when the Rams won 33-21 on the road. The Steelers are also facing the Rams for the first time in St. Louis. ...
The Steelers have won two straight Thursday night games. ... Roethlisberger needs one TD pass to become the first quarterback in team history to throw for 30 touchdowns in one season. ... The Steelers have won 14 of their past 16 games against NFC teams. ... Pittsburgh has beaten only two teams with winning records, the Browns (9-5) and Seahawks (9-5). ... The Steelers are just 2-4 on the road, but the Rams are only 1-6 at home; that trend will continue - look for a bounce-back effort from Pittsburgh.
Betting trends
The Steelers are 7-7 ATS.
The Steelers are 2-4 ATS away.
The Steelers are 7-6 ATS as the favorite.
The Steelers are 2-3 ATS as an away favorite.
The Rams are 5-9 ATS.
The Rams are 2-5 ATS at home.
The Rams are 3-7 ATS as the underdog.
The Rams are 1-3 ATS as a home underdog.
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