Already have the Pats and the Over in another post, here's the other Thursday night game.
PHI @ PIT, NLFx Week #2, 2011
PIT comes into this game still stirring a very large pot holding their offensive line, trying to find the right placement of personnel for the big beef stew. Consistency up front is the key to offensive success, so while the Steelers may have not found it yet, they are likely to let what they hope to be their starting 5 play deeper into the game than the Eagles do.
PIT has some competition for the bottom receiver spots, and now with newly signed Jerricho Cotchery trying to crack one of the top four spots, expect the PIT receivers to play hard in this game. If there's anyone that PIT might be worried about playing hard, it's 3rd string (maybe 4th now) QB D. Dixon, who wanted out of PIT during the offseason, unhappy to grow old watching Big Ben start every game when healthy. Dixon was only 1 of 10 for 29 yards versus WAS in the opener. I do not know where his head is at now, but it looks to be a little off given the circumstances and his play.
Defensively PIT has no real questions to answer heading toward the regular season, but they do have multiple injuries at cornerback, including top CB Ike Taylor who broke his thumb and is out for the rest of the preseason. With preseason defenses throwing fewer blitzes at opposing teams, expect the Philly passing game to have decent success versus the hampered PIT secondary.
PHI is pretty set after all of it's major free agent signings. Vick was strong versus BAL in the opener, while Kafka and Young behind him did an okay job. They figure to do about the same versus the PIT defense. Coach Reid says he's looking forward to the challenge of playing against a tough opponent like BAL, but I'm not really buying it. Rest assured that PHI is extremely happy that back to back games versus BAL and PIT are taking place in the preseason. Reid has announced he's playing his starters the entire first half, but I can't see him fielding any good players in the 2nd half of this contest. This is a road game for a team with nothing to prove in the preseason – a team still slowly adding playing time to star players either signed late or dealing with injuries.
I think the only preseason game remaining that Philly cares about winning is the main tune-up game in week #3 vs. CLE, which is also their only remaining home game. PIT, after dropping their opening contest versus the “hungry for any scraps” Shanahan-led Redskins, on the road, would definitely like to play hard and try to win their next two games, which are at home, especially in light of the offensive issues they're trying to figure out, even if they are the returning AFC champs.. I don't know that Tomlin has ever had a losing record in a preseason.
With more to figure out and more motivation to win, I think that PIT gets it done at home this week versus a PHI team that might be content to run some clock in the 2nd half and go home, saving their energy and marquee players for the following week. PHI has a rookie kicker who made both attempts in week #1, but struggled mightily in practice afterward, so that's a wildcard not in PHI's favor.
I guess that the image of two scary defenses paired with not a lot of offensive points in the first game has kept this one of the lower totals on the board this week. The truth is, both teams played against what should have been pretty hapless offenses last week. PIT gave up 16 to the quarterbackless Redskins, making Grossman and Clemens look like viable NFL qbs. The Redskins seriously underperformed in yards per point, too, racking up 452 yards with an impressive 5.8 yards per play. PHI gave up only six points to the Ravens, but looking at that game, Flacco only attempted 6 passes (completing 3 for a high 60 yards), while rookie Tyrod Taylor played the rest of the game, and he had a decent completion rate and yards per pass, but his two interceptions ultimately cost BAL the game, as they had near identical yards gained to PHI, 313 to 320, and actually had a higher yards per play average of 5.1 to 4.8. The Ravens also had a dismal yards per point ratio.
As long as yards per point returns to something normal this week, I think this game goes easily Over the total.
Final Score Prediction: PIT 23 – PHI 17 after PHI's kicker misses a field goal at some point, giving PIT the cover.
Best bets for the game: Any Over 33.5 is great, there are still some available as of this writing. I would make a small play on PIT at no worse than -2.5 (-120). In spite of my prediction of a PIT win, there is a high level of uncertainty because I'm not sure who's going to play QB in the 2nd half – Leftwich or Dixon, or whether they'll have equal attempts like they did in game #1.. Dixon is bound to play better than last week, though, and he's still dangerou with his feet. Any PHI Team Total 1st half Over any number less than 10 would be a good option, as Vick will be going up against back up cornerbacks the entire half, the same secondary that gave up over 300 yards of passing to Grossman and Clemens. PHI should play strong for the first half,
PHI @ PIT, NLFx Week #2, 2011
PIT comes into this game still stirring a very large pot holding their offensive line, trying to find the right placement of personnel for the big beef stew. Consistency up front is the key to offensive success, so while the Steelers may have not found it yet, they are likely to let what they hope to be their starting 5 play deeper into the game than the Eagles do.
PIT has some competition for the bottom receiver spots, and now with newly signed Jerricho Cotchery trying to crack one of the top four spots, expect the PIT receivers to play hard in this game. If there's anyone that PIT might be worried about playing hard, it's 3rd string (maybe 4th now) QB D. Dixon, who wanted out of PIT during the offseason, unhappy to grow old watching Big Ben start every game when healthy. Dixon was only 1 of 10 for 29 yards versus WAS in the opener. I do not know where his head is at now, but it looks to be a little off given the circumstances and his play.
Defensively PIT has no real questions to answer heading toward the regular season, but they do have multiple injuries at cornerback, including top CB Ike Taylor who broke his thumb and is out for the rest of the preseason. With preseason defenses throwing fewer blitzes at opposing teams, expect the Philly passing game to have decent success versus the hampered PIT secondary.
PHI is pretty set after all of it's major free agent signings. Vick was strong versus BAL in the opener, while Kafka and Young behind him did an okay job. They figure to do about the same versus the PIT defense. Coach Reid says he's looking forward to the challenge of playing against a tough opponent like BAL, but I'm not really buying it. Rest assured that PHI is extremely happy that back to back games versus BAL and PIT are taking place in the preseason. Reid has announced he's playing his starters the entire first half, but I can't see him fielding any good players in the 2nd half of this contest. This is a road game for a team with nothing to prove in the preseason – a team still slowly adding playing time to star players either signed late or dealing with injuries.
I think the only preseason game remaining that Philly cares about winning is the main tune-up game in week #3 vs. CLE, which is also their only remaining home game. PIT, after dropping their opening contest versus the “hungry for any scraps” Shanahan-led Redskins, on the road, would definitely like to play hard and try to win their next two games, which are at home, especially in light of the offensive issues they're trying to figure out, even if they are the returning AFC champs.. I don't know that Tomlin has ever had a losing record in a preseason.
With more to figure out and more motivation to win, I think that PIT gets it done at home this week versus a PHI team that might be content to run some clock in the 2nd half and go home, saving their energy and marquee players for the following week. PHI has a rookie kicker who made both attempts in week #1, but struggled mightily in practice afterward, so that's a wildcard not in PHI's favor.
I guess that the image of two scary defenses paired with not a lot of offensive points in the first game has kept this one of the lower totals on the board this week. The truth is, both teams played against what should have been pretty hapless offenses last week. PIT gave up 16 to the quarterbackless Redskins, making Grossman and Clemens look like viable NFL qbs. The Redskins seriously underperformed in yards per point, too, racking up 452 yards with an impressive 5.8 yards per play. PHI gave up only six points to the Ravens, but looking at that game, Flacco only attempted 6 passes (completing 3 for a high 60 yards), while rookie Tyrod Taylor played the rest of the game, and he had a decent completion rate and yards per pass, but his two interceptions ultimately cost BAL the game, as they had near identical yards gained to PHI, 313 to 320, and actually had a higher yards per play average of 5.1 to 4.8. The Ravens also had a dismal yards per point ratio.
As long as yards per point returns to something normal this week, I think this game goes easily Over the total.
Final Score Prediction: PIT 23 – PHI 17 after PHI's kicker misses a field goal at some point, giving PIT the cover.
Best bets for the game: Any Over 33.5 is great, there are still some available as of this writing. I would make a small play on PIT at no worse than -2.5 (-120). In spite of my prediction of a PIT win, there is a high level of uncertainty because I'm not sure who's going to play QB in the 2nd half – Leftwich or Dixon, or whether they'll have equal attempts like they did in game #1.. Dixon is bound to play better than last week, though, and he's still dangerou with his feet. Any PHI Team Total 1st half Over any number less than 10 would be a good option, as Vick will be going up against back up cornerbacks the entire half, the same secondary that gave up over 300 yards of passing to Grossman and Clemens. PHI should play strong for the first half,
