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The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to take on the defending champion New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football in Week 1 NFL action. While the two teams are bitter rivals, the landscape has changed quite a bit. No longer are the Steelers going up against the Patriots with tons of star power, as both Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell left the team this offseason.
Instead, JuJu Smith-Schuster is the new No. 1 wide receiver in town and James Conner has taken over the running back position. Ben Roethlisberger is still in town, however, which makes the Steelers a dangerous offense.
Defensively, the Steelers feel very good about the moves they made this offseason. First off, they traded up in the 2019 NFL Draft to snag linebacker Devin Bush, who they believe can take over a role similar to the one that Ryan Shazier played before his injury. If he can do that, the Steelers are going to be much better equipped to go up against Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense.
Either way, star power or not, anytime these two teams match up, the fans should be tuning in. Add in the fact that it's Sunday Night Football under the lights at Gillette Stadium and it makes it even more entertaining.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at three bold predictions for the Steelers in Week 1 versus the Patriots.
3. Pittsburgh's Defense Forces Three Turnovers
Going up against Brady and company is never an easy task for any team. That may be the case, but the Steelers feel confident that they can wreak some havoc on the defensive side of the football.
The Steelers are going to be more than capable of putting pressure on Brady and their secondary will make some plays. Bush and company are also more than capable of forcing a fumble here and there. When everything is said and done on Sunday night, the Steelers are going to have forced three turnovers against the high-powered New England offense.
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2. JuJu Smith-Schuster Goes Off for 150 Yards, Two Touchdowns
One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Steelers this season is Smith-Schuster stepping up and taking over the No. 1 receiver role that has been occupied by Antonio Brown for years. He had quite a few run-ins on social media this offseason with Brown and expectations are sky high. Smith-Schuster will meet those expectations in Week 1.
New England isn't a bad defensive football team, but JuJu is going to make them look like it. He will rack up 150 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
1. Pittsburgh Proves They're Still A Contender in the AFC
Following the departures of Brown and Bell, many wrote the Steelers off immediately. The end of the “Killer B's” is a tough pill to swallow, but they are going to shrug it off quickly in their first game of the season.
Big Ben and company are going to come out looking to prove a point this season. Facing off against the defending champions is a perfect way to do just that. Pittsburgh will get the job done and come through with a huge Week 1 win to set the tone for the rest of their season.
