{"id":49988,"date":"2023-12-07T15:13:47","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T20:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=49988"},"modified":"2023-12-07T15:13:47","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T20:13:47","slug":"morse-patriots-preview-a-look-at-the-pittsburgh-steelers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2023\/12\/07\/morse-patriots-preview-a-look-at-the-pittsburgh-steelers\/","title":{"rendered":"MORSE: Patriots Preview &#8211; A Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I hate Thursday Night games.\u00a0 The teams don\u2019t have enough time off between games to properly prepare for the opponent and the players don\u2019t get the rest they need to recover from the previous Sunday\u2019s game.\u00a0 The product ends up being diluted because of this.\u00a0 Is it possible for the Patriots to score negative points this week?<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 1050px;\" width=\"746\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"123\"><strong>OFFENSE<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"143\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"123\"><strong>3WR 1TE<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"143\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"123\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"143\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"123\"><strong>STARTER<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"143\"><strong>2ND<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><strong>3RD<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><strong>4TH<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">QB<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Kenny Pickett O<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Mitch Trubisky<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\">Mason Rudolph<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">RB<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Najee Harris Q<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Jaylen Warren<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\">Godwin Igwebuike<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">Anthony McFarland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">WR<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Diontae Johnson<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Miles Boykin<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">WR<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">George Pickens<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Calvin Austin<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">WR<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Allen Robinson<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"126\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">TE<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Pat Freiermuth<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Darnell Washington<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\">Connor Heyward<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">Rodney Williams<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">LT<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Dan\u00a0Moore<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">LG<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Isaac Seumalo\u00a0Q<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Nate Herbig<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\">Spencer Anderson<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">C<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Mason Cole Q<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Nate Herbig<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">RG<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">James Daniels<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Nate Herbig<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">RT<\/td>\n<td width=\"123\">Broderick\u00a0Jones<\/td>\n<td width=\"143\">Chukwuma Okorafor<\/td>\n<td width=\"126\">Dylan\u00a0Cook<\/td>\n<td width=\"144\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"123\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"143\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"126\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"144\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Everything starts with the Pittsburgh Offensive line.\u00a0 This tidbit from Warren Sharp, \u201cthe 2022 (Pittsburgh) line was the cheapest in the NFL\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Last season Moore (49th) and Okorafor (53rd) were subpar in pressure rate allowed. Moore ended the year 61st among tackles in overall grade at Pro Football Focus while Okorafor was 64th. Keep in mind, there are only 64 starting tackles in the NFL at any point in time.\u00a0 LT Dan Moore somehow kept his starting job, but he is suspect.<\/p>\n<p>LG Isaac Seumalo is listed as Questionable per the ESPN Report, after not participating on Monday and Wednesday.\u00a0 \u00a0Seumalo is a 3<sup>rd<\/sup> Round (#79) 2016 draft choice of Philadelphia, he was signed by Pittsburgh this year as a Free Agent as part of their rebuilding of the Offensive Line.\u00a0 In 2022 Seumalo was a Pro Bowl Alternate.<\/p>\n<p>At C is Mason Cole.\u00a0 Cole has made an enormous leap. In 2021 in Minnesota, he recorded the 5th-worst pass blocking grade among qualified centers and allowed pressure on 8.1% of pass blocking snaps, the highest rate in the NFL. In 2022, Cole graded out as the overall 12th-best center in the entire NFL.<\/p>\n<p>RG is now manned by James Daniels, a 2018 2<sup>nd<\/sup> round (#39) draft choice of Chicago.\u00a0 Daniels played Left Guard and Center for Chicago.\u00a0 He signed with Pittsburgh in 2022.\u00a0 The 6\u20194\u201d, 327 lb. Iowa alum is a versatile interior lineman that has moved to the right side for Pittsburgh. \u00a0Daniels is ranked 22<sup>nd<\/sup> and Seumalo is ranked 23<sup>rd<\/sup> by PFF.\u00a0 In comparison Sidy Sow is 20<sup>th<\/sup> and Cole Strange 27<sup>th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p>The poor play of both Tackles prompted the Steelers to draft a tackle high in the first round (finally), taking OT Broderick Jones out of Georgia at No. 14 overall. This pick was obtained from the Patriots.\u00a0 \u00a0Brandon Jones will always be compared to Christian Gonzalez because of the trade and the need on the Offensive Line that the Patriots didn\u2019t address in the draft.\u00a0 Jones isn\u2019t playing Left Tackle.\u00a0 I would never draft a 1<sup>st<\/sup> round Tackle who couldn\u2019t play Left Tackle.\u00a0 Oh yeah, the patriots took Jake Andrews, Sidy Sow, and Atonio Mafi in the draft.\u00a0 But they are all Interior Offensive Lineman and were taken in the 4<sup>th<\/sup> and 5<sup>th<\/sup> rounds.\u00a0 Sow and Mafi show promise, but they played Sow at RT all pre-season and he started there the 1<sup>st<\/sup> few games in the regular season.\u00a0 He got his head handed to him.\u00a0 Mafi is very inexperienced at the position having switched from DL at UCLA as a Sophomore.\u00a0 The jury is out on Jake Andrews, but I haven\u2019t seen anything I like in him.<\/p>\n<p>Another gem from Warren Sharp \u201cPittsburgh used the same offensive line combination on 94.6% of their plays last season, the highest rate in the league. Every starter appeared in all 17 games.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>QB Kenny Pickett has been ruled out and will be replaced by Mitch Trubisky.\u00a0 Last week against Arizona Trubisky didn\u2019t play badly.\u00a0 He was 11 of 17 for 117 yards and a TD without throwing any INT.\u00a0 The Patriots beat Trubisky last year 17-14 but Trubisky played well completing 64% of his passes 21 of 33 for 165 yards a TD and INT.\u00a0 That was perhaps Mac Jones best game of the year throwing for 252 yards.<\/p>\n<p>Najee Harris is the lead back, but he is listed as Questionable and did not practice on Tuesday or Wednesday.\u00a0 It looks like he will not play and if so, the main ball carrier will be the very capable Jaylen Warren.\u00a0 He has 102 carries for 602 yards and a 5.9 YPC, with 3 TDs. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Godwin Igwebuike and Anthony McFarland are listed as backups but neither has had a carry this season.<\/p>\n<p>George Pickens is now the number one receiver for the Steelers.\u00a0 He has 44 receptions on 78 targets for 748 yards (17.0) YPC and 3 TDs.\u00a0 Dionte Johnson has been supplanted and is now the number two receiver, and he doesn\u2019t like it.\u00a0 From what I have seen from him this year I wouldn\u2019t want him on my team.\u00a0 He has quit on plays and given minimal effort on others plays when he is not getting the ball.\u00a0 Pouting like a little child when he can\u2019t get his way.\u00a0 Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin are dangerous receivers as backups.<\/p>\n<p>Pat Freiermuth has emerged as a gifted TE.\u00a0 The former Penn State Nittany Lion grew up in Merrimac MA and attended Brooks Academy in North Andover.\u00a0 \u00a0He has 21 catches on 30 targets for 209 yards and 2 TDs.\u00a0 Conor Heyward chipped in for 19 catches.\u00a0 They also have former 2 x National Champion Georgia Bulldog Darnell Washington.<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 895px;\" width=\"680\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"127\"><strong>DEFENSE<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"133\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"132\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"114\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"127\"><strong>Base 3-4 D<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"133\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"132\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"114\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"127\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"133\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"132\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"114\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"127\"><strong>STARTER<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"133\"><strong>2ND<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"132\"><strong>3RD<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"114\"><strong>4TH<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">LDE<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Larry Ogunjobi<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Armon Watts<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">NT<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Montravius\u00a0Adams<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Keeanu Benton\u00a0O<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">Renell Wren\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">RDE<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Cameron\u00a0Heyward<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">DeMarvin Leal<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"114\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">WLB<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">T.J.\u00a0Watt<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Markus Golden<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">LILB<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Mykal\u00a0Walker<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Mark\u00a0Robinson<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">Blake\u00a0Martinez<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\">Cole\u00a0Holcomb\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">RILB<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Elandon Roberts\u00a0Q<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Kwon\u00a0Alexander IR<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">Chapelle\u00a0Russell IR<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">SLB<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Alex Highsmith<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Nick Herbig<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"114\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">LCB<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Patrick Peterson<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Levi\u00a0Wallace<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">Chandon\u00a0Sullivan<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">SS<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Damontae Kazee<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Miles Killebrew<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">Keanu Neal\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">FS<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Minkah\u00a0Fitzpatrick<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">Trenton\u00a0Thompson<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">Elijah Riley\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">RCB<\/td>\n<td width=\"127\">Joey Porter Jr.<\/td>\n<td width=\"133\">James \u00a0Pierre\u00a0Q<\/td>\n<td width=\"132\">Darius\u00a0Rush<\/td>\n<td width=\"114\">Cory Trice Jr.\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We start by looking at the D-Line who is anchored by RDE Cam Heyward the 34-year-old former Ohio State Buckeye.\u00a0 Playing in his 13th year, the 2010 1<sup>st<\/sup> round pick (#31) is a legacy player with the Steelers.\u00a0 He is the son of Craig \u201cIronhead\u201d Heyward who passed away in 2006.\u00a0 Cam helped me win a Patriots draft contest back in 2010.\u00a0 I correctly picked the 30<sup>th<\/sup>, 31<sup>st<\/sup>, and 32<sup>nd<\/sup> picks in the 1<sup>st<\/sup> round and received a Jacket from the Patriots. \u00a0He is a 3-time 1<sup>st<\/sup> team All Pro, a second team All Pro, 6- time Pro Bowl selection and future Hall of Fame Player. \u00a0Heyward has only played in 6 games this season.<\/p>\n<p>LDE Larry Ogunjobi leads the D-line in tackles with 31.\u00a0 He has 2 sacks and plays more like a DT, like the Patriots 3-4 defense.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0NT is manned by Montravious Adams.\u00a0 The former Auburn Tiger has 21 tackles in just 8 games.\u00a0 He is 6\u20194\u201d 305 lbs, but has trouble putting pressure on the QB, and has no sacks this season.<\/p>\n<p>The strength of the defense is TJ Watt at LB.\u00a0 He has 14 sacks and is one of the premier pass rushers in the league, he will be matched up against Mike Owenu, however Pittsburgh likes to move him around.\u00a0 Look for Watt to make that delayed inside blitz with the DT going across the face of the guard and looping out around the tackle.\u00a0 The other outside Linebacker is Alex Highsmith.\u00a0 The 6\u20194\u201d 242 lb backer played at Charlotte and was a 3<sup>rd<\/sup> round (#102) selection in the 2020 draft.\u00a0 He has 46 tackles this season.\u00a0 Old friend Elandon Robets leads the Steelers in tackles with 80 and added 1.5 sacks.\u00a0 The short ILB was a 2016 6<sup>th<\/sup> round (#214) draft choice of the Patriots.\u00a0 Mykal Walker is the other ILB.\u00a0 He was 4<sup>th<\/sup> round (#119) selection by Atlanta in 2020.\u00a0 He bounced around the league on Practice Squads before finding a home in Pittsburgh.\u00a0 He has only played in 3 games and has 17 tackles.\u00a0 Cole Holcomb has 54 tackles in 8 games but is now on IR as is Kwon Alexander.\u00a0 Blake Martinez is a backup Inside Linebacker.<\/p>\n<p>The secondary is led by FS Minkah Fitzpatrick. He is second on the team in tackles with 59 but has no Interceptions.\u00a0 Fitzpatrick was the 1<sup>st<\/sup> round (#11) selection of the Miami Dolphins in 2018.\u00a0 The former Alabama Crimson Tide player holds the record for INT in a game for Alabama and the NCAA record for INT TD returns in a career (4).\u00a0 Among his accolades. Fitzpatrick is a 2-time NCAA Champ, 3-time 1<sup>st<\/sup> team All-Pro, and 3-time Pro Bowl selection. \u00a0In 2020 trade Miami sent Fitzpatrick, their 4<sup>th<\/sup> round pick and a 7<sup>th<\/sup> round selection to Pittsburgh for the Steelers 1<sup>st<\/sup> rounds pick, their 5<sup>th<\/sup> round and 6th in the following year.<\/p>\n<p>LCB Patrick Peterson is no slouch either.\u00a0 The now 33-year-old is still playing at a high level.\u00a0 Entering his 13th year in the league, Peterson is highly decorated. \u00a0He has been selected to the 1<sup>st<\/sup> team All-Pro 3 times, 8 times Pro Bowl, and is likely headed to Canton and the Hall of Fame when his playing days are done.\u00a0 He is durable too, playing in all 12 games and making 31 tackles.\u00a0 However, his skills have eroded, and he is ranked 77<sup>th<\/sup> among CBs in the league by PFF.\u00a0 With 64 starters, that would indicate he is a bench player not a starter.\u00a0 By comparison, Jonathan Jones is ranked 33 and both Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade are ranked slightly higher.<\/p>\n<p>RCB is manned by rookie Joey Porter Jr.\u00a0 Another Pittsburgh legacy, Porter is the son of the former LB of the same name.\u00a0 He was selected in the 2<sup>nd<\/sup> round (#32 \u2013 Miami forfeited their 2023 1<sup>st<\/sup> round pick making the 1<sup>st<\/sup> round only 31 selections) and is ranked 30<sup>th<\/sup> by PFF this season.<\/p>\n<p>SS is patrolled by Damonte Kazee.\u00a0 PFF has him ranked 57<sup>th<\/sup>, by comparison Kyle Dugger is 50<sup>th<\/sup> and Jabrill Peppers is 4<sup>th<\/sup>.\u00a0 The 30-year-old was a 2017 5<sup>th<\/sup> round (#149) selection by Atlanta out of San Diego State.\u00a0 Kazee has had some injury problems in his career, tearing his Achilles in 2020 and a broken arm in 2022.\u00a0 \u00a0He was also suspended three games for a violation of banned substances.\u00a0 However, Pittsburgh saw enough in him to sign him to a two-year extension.\u00a0 He has 57 tackles this year and 2 INTs.<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 591px;\" width=\"543\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"134\"><strong>Special Teams<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"122\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"148\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"134\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"122\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"148\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"134\"><strong>STARTER<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"122\"><strong>2ND<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"148\"><strong>3RD<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">PK<\/td>\n<td width=\"134\">Chris Boswell<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">P<\/td>\n<td width=\"134\">Pressley Harvin III<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">H<\/td>\n<td width=\"134\">Pressley Harvin III<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">PR<\/td>\n<td width=\"134\">Calvin Austin<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">KR<\/td>\n<td width=\"134\">Godwin Igwebuike<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\">Jaylen Warren<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">Anthony McFarland<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"64\">LS<\/td>\n<td width=\"134\">Christian\u00a0Kuntz<\/td>\n<td width=\"122\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"148\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Chris Boswell is ranked 15<sup>th<\/sup> among kickers and is making 91% of his kicks (22 of 24).\u00a0 He is very consistent, and he kicks in one of the more difficult places to kick.\u00a0 Acrisure Stadium is known for swirling winds as it is at the junction of three rivers.<\/p>\n<p>Pressley Harvin is a relatively unknown punter.\u00a0 He is ranked 8<sup>th<\/sup> by Pro Football Reference with a 44.7-yard average.\u00a0 Bryce Baringer is third with 47.6 average and 44% of his kicks inside the 20.\u00a0 He is the only Patriots player in consideration for the Pro Bowl.<\/p>\n<p>Returner Calvin Austin is 20<sup>th<\/sup> in the league with a 7.1 average on 21 Punt returns.\u00a0 \u00a0No Steeler has registered enough Kickoff returns to register in the database.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I expect this to be a very close (and boring) game with both teams desperately trying to generate some offense.\u00a0 The Patriots\u2019 defense is ranked 7<sup>th<\/sup> in Yards per Play with Pittsburgh ranked 20<sup>th<\/sup>.\u00a0 The Steelers are 6<sup>th<\/sup> in Points Allowed, giving up 19 pts per game.\u00a0 The Patriots are ranked 15<sup>th<\/sup>, giving up 21.2 pts a game.\u00a0 This game may come down to which team wins the turnover battle, which team has the better Special Teams play and whether either team can generate a Defensive TD.\u00a0 The disrespect for the Patriots and Steelers is widespread as the Las Vegas betting Over\/Under number is set at 30 points combined by both teams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I hate Thursday Night games.\u00a0 The teams don\u2019t have enough time off between games to properly prepare for the opponent and the players don\u2019t get the rest they need to recover from the previous Sunday\u2019s game.\u00a0 The product ends up being diluted because of this.\u00a0 Is it possible for the Patriots to score negative points this week?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":14243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>MORSE: Patriots Preview - A Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I hate Thursday Night games.\u00a0 The teams don\u2019t have enough time off between games to properly prepare for the opponent and the players don\u2019t get the rest they need to recover from the previous Sunday\u2019s game.\u00a0 The product ends up being diluted because of this.\u00a0 Is it possible for the Patriots to score negative points this week?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2023\/12\/07\/morse-patriots-preview-a-look-at-the-pittsburgh-steelers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MORSE: Patriots Preview - A Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers | PatsFans.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I hate Thursday Night games.\u00a0 The teams don\u2019t have enough time off between games to properly prepare for the opponent and the players don\u2019t get the rest they need to recover from the previous 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