Dallas Cowboys Opponent Profile: Steelers Struggling But Still Talented Enough To Test Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys sit on top of the NFC East with an impressive 7-1 record, tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the NFL. They have beaten great teams and just came off of a big win over the only winless team in the NFL, as well. This week, the Cowboys play a team that was expected to contend for the postseason but has stumbled so far due to injuries. Here is a look at the Dallas Cowboys Week 10 opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers Season Record
Most people expected the Pittsburgh Steelers to explode back to life in Week 9 when Ben Roethlisberger returned from injury. However, the Steelers ended up losing their third straight game and dropped to .500 on the season with a 4-4 record. Incredibly, this record still puts the Steelers in a first place tie with the team that beat them this past week in the Baltimore Ravens, so they can still get back on track for the playoff race.
Pittsburgh Steelers On Offense
With Ben Roethlisberger banged up, the Steelers have not looked as strong as they did to start the season. In the four Steelers wins, Roethlisberger threw 15 touchdown passes. In the four Steelers losses, he threw two touchdowns and four interceptions. Roethlisberger's injuries have also affected his playmakers.
Antonio Brown is still the most explosive threat in the receiver corps and one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. However, he has only reached 100 yards three times this season, and while he has six touchdown receptions, those came in only four of the eight games this season. Meanwhile, Le'Veon Bell missed the first three games to suspension and after running for 144 yards in his first game back, he has not hit the 100-yard mark since and hasn't scored a touchdown yet.
Pittsburgh Steelers On Defense
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has also been disappointing as of late. They rank 20th in total defense, giving up 375 yards and 21 points in each game this season. They are better against the run, giving up less than 100 yards a game, but struggle against the pass. This could actually help them against Dallas since their defense can possibly slow down Ezekiel Elliott and force Dak Prescott to beat them through the air.
Pittsburgh Steelers Players To Watch
Ben Roethlisberger – If anyone can take the team on his shoulders and will them to win, it is Big Ben. As his stats show, when he throws lots of touchdowns, the Steelers win games. No matter how good the Cowboys defense is playing, they are still susceptible to mistakes and the Steelers have too many weapons. Big Ben can carve up this Cowboys defense, which could make this a shootout.
Antonio Brown – The Cowboys are without Morris Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick is not back to his full pre-injury playing abilities. That leaves some big holes in the secondary and Antonio Brown is the best receiver Dallas has faced this season. He can beat the Cowboys defensive backs and that is where Dallas is weakest.
Outlook
This is a huge test for the Dallas Cowboys. Only the Green Bay Packers can compare to the Pittsburgh Steelers when it comes to the quality of opponents for the Cowboys this season. Big Ben can beat teams in much the same way that Aaron Rodgers can and Dallas has to stop him. However, the Cowboys completely dominated Green Bay, so they have to feel like they can beat a struggling Pittsburgh Steelers as well.
Post Author: Shawn S. Lealos.
