It has been a curious start to the NFL season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite allowing the third-most yards per game and gaining the second-fewest yards per contest in the NFL, the Steelers enter Week 8 with a 4-2 record, just half a game out of the lead in the AFC North. The Steelers have played an ugly yet effective brand of football, forcing their opponents to make mistakes while grinding our narrow victories thanks to clutch plays in crunch time.
The Steelers' Week 8 opponent is the Jacksonville Jaguars — who come to the Steel City this Sunday on the back of a four-game winning streak. A Pittsburgh win would be a huge momentum builder for the team as it competes in a tight divisional race. Here are three bold Steelers predictions for the Week 8 contest against the Jaguars.
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Allen Robinson steps up as the Steelers' number-two wideout
Allen Robinson's first season in a Steelers uniform has been hit or miss. He had a team-high eight targets and 64 receiving yards in the opener against the San Francisco 49ers, yet even with the absence of Diontae Johnson, Robinson has not eclipsed 24 yards in a game since then. Johnson returned in Week 7 but missed practice on Thursday this week and is now a question mark for Sunday's game against Jacksonville. Tight end Pat Freiermuth will also be out for this contest.
Is this the chance for Robinson to finally break through? The veteran is tied for second on the team with 27 targets, but he has never felt like a consistent option in the passing game this year. The Jacksonville Jaguars, though, have been shredded by opposing receivers this year. The Jaguars are giving up 273.9 passing yards per game — second-worst in the NFL behind the lowly Denver Broncos. With George Pickens recording his third 100-yard receiving game of the year last week, he will undoubtedly be the main focus of the Jags' secondary, opening up space for the rest of the Steelers receiving corps.
Expect a solid six catches for 73 yards from Allen Robinson this weekend.
Najee Harris records his lowest rushing total of the season
After a phenomenal rookie year in which he recorded more than 1,600 total yards and reached the Pro Bowl, Najee Harris has been on the decline ever since. This year, he is not even on pace to surpass 1,000 total yards. Harris has been on a timeshare with Jaylen Warren this season, playing just 54% of offensive snaps to Warren's 45%, with the former leading in the rushing department while the latter has been more effective in the passing game. Last week, while still mediocre, was one of Harris' better performances of the season. The third-year running back ran for 53 yards on 14 carries and recorded his first touchdown of the year.
But coming up against a stout Jaguars run defense, don't expect Harris or Warren to find much space as ball carriers on Sunday afternoon. The Jaguars are giving up just 80.6 yards per game on the ground this year, fourth-best in the NFL, and have allowed just one opposing running back to eclipse 70 rushing yards in a contest. Najee Harris is averaging 50 rushing yards per game this year, and against a smothering Jacksonville front, it will be a chore just for him to surpass the season-low 31 yards he picked up against the 49ers in Week 1. 10 carries for 28 yards is a reasonable expectation for Harris this Sunday.
Follow Us
Subscribe