Coming into Week 2, one of the most interesting games is between the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Seahawks were able to inch out a win in Week 1, while the Steelers didn't come close to securing a victory over the New England Patriots.
The Seahawks began their season facing a Cincinnati Bengals team that was playing without A.J. Green in their offense. Despite Green's absence, Andy Dalton was able to throw for 418 yards and two touchdowns and came close to upsetting the Seahawks 21-20.
Seattle's secondary had no answer for John Ross, as the speedy wideout had seven receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Pete Carroll will want to see his defense do a better job of limiting the Steelers' aerial attack.
On the other side, the Steelers were absolutely embarrassed by the Patriots in Week 1, losing the game 33-3. Fans in Pittsburgh were curious to see their offense without Antonio Brown and they looked awful on Sunday Night Football.
Ben Roethlisberger still has JuJu Smith-Schuster to throw to, but Donte Moncrief and James Washington didn't do much to help the passing game in Week 1. After a devastating loss last Sunday, the Steelers are hoping to get into the win column in Week 2.
With that being said, here are four bold predictions for the Seahawks and Steelers in Week 2.
4. Tyler Lockett Will Have 150 Yards
The Seahawks rarely throw the ball but when they do allow Russell Wilson to throw it, he tends to look downfield for deep passes. As a result, a receiver like Tyler Lockett is perfect for Seattle's offense with his ability to run past defenders.
The only worry is that the Seahawks refuse to pass in this game or D.K. Metcalf cuts into Lockett's targets. However, the Steelers secondary was susceptible to the pass in Week 1 with three receivers for the Patriots having over 70 yards.
Furthermore, the struggles will continue for Pittsburgh in their secondary as they allow Lockett to gash them for over 150 yards through the air.
3. JuJu Smith-Schuster Will Catch 12 Passes
As mentioned before, the Steelers lack weapons in their passing game outside of Smith-Schuster. This past Sunday, Moncrief and Washington combined for just five receptions for 58 yards.
To no one's surprise, Smith-Schuster led all receivers for the Steelers with six receptions for 78 yards. Due to Roethlisberger not having many reliable options to target, he is going to lean on his third-year receiver a ton.
Along with the Steelers heavily utilizing Smith-Schuster, Seattle has a secondary that looks lost without Earl Thomas on the backend of their defense. With that in mind, the Steelers top receiving option will feast with 12 catches in Week 2.
2. James Conner Rushes for 100 Yards
Along with their passing game struggling to get going, Pittsburgh was also unable to get James Conner involved in their offense. Conner rushed for 21 yards and had 44 yards through the air in 14 total touches.
It was a forgettable performance for the Pittsburgh product and the Steelers will want to run the ball with some success in Week 2. At the same time, it may be tough to run the ball against Seattle, who allowed just 34 yards to the Bengals in Week 1.
As tough as it may be, the Steelers have a talented offensive line that can impose their will on Seattle's defensive front. Therefore, it's possible that Conner is able to gallop for over 100 yards on Sunday.
1. Seahawks Win On the Road 27-21
The Seahawks are known to be a team that excels at home and they struggle on the road. Alas, in Week 2, they will be traveling across the country to take on the Steelers at Heinz Field.
Most people believe that the Steelers are going to avoid going 0-2 but it's tough to erase their performance from Week 1 out of my memory. The Seahawks didn't look remarkable either but they still came away with the win versus the Bengals.
Since Russell Wilson joined the Seahawks in 2012, the franchise has gone 31-24 on the road, compared to 45-12 at home. Despite the odds being against them, Wilson and company are going to take care of business and cause more concern for the Steelers after Week 2.
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