This game had the makings of a classic and a possible AFC Championship game preview until Ben Roethlisberger sustained an injury that will prevent him from playing. The New England Patriots have their quarterback and look like the best in the AFC once again. Without Big Ben, the Pittsburgh Steelers are just another team. The game was a pick em until Roethlisberger went in for surgery. Without him the Steelers are a touchdown dog in this Week 7 tilt.
This contest in Week 7 of the regular season will go down Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Heinz Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
New England Patriots -7
Pittsburgh Steelers +7
Over/Under 46
Odds Analysis
How much does Roethlisberger mean to the success of the Steelers? Plenty, according to oddsmakers. Early lines had the game as a pick em before Big Ben’s injury. It hit the board at New England -7 with nearly 70 percent of the wagers on the visitors. We could see more movement before kickoff given the other injury concerns for the Steelers. With Pittsburgh looking to avoid a shootout, the total is high and could also drop before kickoff.
Injury Report
Ben Roethlisberger – Sustained a knee injury in Miami and has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Big Ben is one of the best in the business and orchestrates Pittsburgh’s offense. The unit obviously won’t be the same with Landry Jones in there so expect plenty of Le’Veon Bell in the run game and targeted in short passes out of the backfield.
Cameron Heyward – Pittsburgh will also be without one of its defensive leaders as Heyward will miss the Pats game with a hamstring injury. His absence last week was noticeable when the Dolphins ran for 222 yards and possessed the football for nearly 37 minutes.
Player to Watch
Roethlisberger will not play on Sunday, putting Jones, directly in New England’s crosshairs. Jones isn’t a stranger to the offense. He’s in his fourth year with the organization and made two starts last season filling in for an injured Roethlisberger. But he isn’t Big Ben, so expect Mike Tomlin and his staff to tailor a game plan to suit Jones’ skill set. Pittsburgh still has its play-makers in Bell and Antonio Brown, so don’t count the Steelers out just yet.
Tomlin said he wants Jones to run the offense, be a game manager and not turn the ball over. The coach also said, “A shootout is not the type of game we’re looking for.” So don’t expect Jones to air it out like Big Ben, that’s just not his style. Bell will be used plenty running the football and in the short passing game, but if the situation presents itself, Tomlin has confidence in Jones to let him take a shot downfield.
Free ATS Pick
Before the injury to Roethlisberger, this game was the premiere matchup of the weekend. Without Big Ben and coming off a lathering at the hands of the Dolphins, the Steelers have lost plenty of steam. But Tomlin is looking long-term, and with their bye coming up after this one, the Steelers will look to get healthier for the home stretch. Not that they’re throwing in the towel, but the Pats look unstoppable, and going against them without a full roster is suicidal. Watch for the Steelers to really simplify their offensive game plan in an effort to move the chains and keep the defense off the field.
The only problem New England might have is looking past the Steelers. But after going through the same ordeal when Brady was serving his suspension, I doubt Bill Belichick will allow his team to look beyond Sunday. Tomlin admitted he wants to keep the game low-scoring and the only way to do that is to have the offense move the football. They couldn’t do it against Miami and the injury to Roethlisberger likely had something to do with the ineffectiveness. But they struggled against a weak defensive team. The Pats will take advantage of the shorthanded Steelers to get a cover win.
NFL Odds: Patriots 26, Steelers 17
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