Steelers Over Under Win Total

James Harrison’s Super Bowl interception and return for a touchdown is one of the best plays in NFL history. The NFL ranked it as the seventh-best play in its first 100 years, and that seems low.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Win Total The Pittsburgh Steelers' current 2020 win total sits at 9.0 games. With that in mind, let's take a look at some expert predictions on which side of that projected win total the Steelers will fall in the 2020 NFL regular season. Steelers Schedule 2020. Winner: Steelers Spread Pick: Browns. Browns vs Steelers Betting Trends - Cleveland is 3-7 against the spread (ATS) in its last 10 games. Cleveland is 5-2 straight up in its last seven games. Pittsburgh is 1-4 ATS in its last five games. The total has hit the under in four of Pittsburgh's last six games. Browns vs Steelers Stats.

There are some people who don’t think that play was all too great.

Those who bet on Super Bowl XLIII between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers might have experienced two ridiculous bad beats on the same day.

One of them came when Harrison picked off Kurt Warner, and kept running 100 yards down the sideline as the first half ended.

James Harrison’s interception was huge for bettors

Steelers Over Under Win Totals

The point spread for the full game was Cardinals +7, but many people had Arizona +3 for the first half. You already can see where this is going.

The Cardinals trailed 10-7 with 18 seconds left in the first half. They had marched all the way down to the Steelers’ 2-yard line and had first-and-goal.

Anyone holding a Cardinals +3 ticket for the first half had to feel like they’d get a push at least. Most likely, the Cardinals were going to get at least a field goal, tie the game going into the half and cover the first-half spread. To lose the bet, the Steelers would have to score in the final 18 seconds, when they were backed up at their own 2 and didn’t have the ball.

If you had a Steelers first half ticket, what happened next was a dream. Warner, a Hall of Fame quarterback, made a bad mistake. Warner didn’t assume Harrison would be dropping into a zone, but he did. When Warner tried hitting Anquan Boldin on a quick slant, Harrison was there to pick him off. That alone still didn’t kill the Cardinals first-half bettors. What happened next did.

Harrison just kept going. A few Cardinals had a shot to tackle him but didn’t.. Larry Fitzgerald would have caught him but ran into a teammate on the sideline. Harrison barely got in the end zone as he was brought down. The Steelers led 17-7 at the half. Cardinals first-half bettors wondered what happened.

Presumably some of them had the under for the game, which seemed pretty safe too late in the fourth quarter.

Late flurry of points pushes Super Bowl over the total

The over/under for the game was 46. With a little more than three minutes left in the game, the score was 20-14. A tie and overtime seemed unlikely, so to lose the under, there would need to be at least 13 points scored in the final three minutes. Possible, but not likely.

A safety was called on the Steelers for holding in the end zone. That didn’t seem like a big deal at the time for under bettors. But it was the beginning of a bad beat.

Two plays after the safety, Fitzgerald split the safeties down the middle of the field and took a pass 64 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers trailed 23-20. The total was still under with 2:37 left, but now the path to the over was clear.

Steelers fans weren’t upset with what happened next. Ben Roethlisberger led a drive downfield, and Santonio Holmes made one of the iconic catches in Super Bowl history on the sideline with 35 seconds left. The game went over the total. And yes, Harrison’s crazy interception return factored in that as well.

That Steelers Super Bowl win was one of the most memorable games in NFL history. It was memorable for bettors too, with two rough bad beats.

The consensus states the Steelers will return to AFC prominence now that Ben Roethlisberger returns from his elbow injury.

Given Ben’s ability to bounce back in the past, pundits are right to believe 2020 is no different.

But this isn’t a young Ben Roethlisberger. And while quarterback career spans are longer in today’s game, Ben failed to stay completely healthy throughout his career.

But the reason the Steelers will find it a challenge to reach their over-under win projection doesn’t rest just with Ben. The AFC North is stronger and poor depth may again keep this team from winning double-digit games, as in 2019.

While time will tell what happens in 2020, a few reasons exist why you want to think twice before betting the Steelers will surpass their over-under win threshold.

Here are 4 reasons to proceed with caution with the Steelers.

1. Divisional Foes

From a theoretical standpoint, the AFC North is no joke in 2020. We know what the Baltimore Ravens are capable of. The Cleveland Browns are loaded with proven talent. And the Cincinnati Bengals blended the draft and free agency to revamp the 2-14 roster that was.

Steelers Over Under Win Total Loss

The Steelers have a history of bone-crunching games against the Ravens, and the 2 teams are often neck and neck every time they meet. With the Ravens among the NFL’s elite, the Steelers must now fight to keep pace.

And while they own one of the best defenses in football, is it enough to stop the revolutionary Ravens offense Lamar Jackson leads? Given the team’s recent struggles against the Ravens, the odds are against them.

Over the past 5 seasons, the Ravens hold an edge over the Steelers, and given the fact the NFL’s most talented team strengthened themselves in the off-season, don’t expect the Steelers to keep up.

Onto Cleveland, where Ben Roethlisberger has won more games in FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Browns, than any other quarterback. Read that line again and research it. It isn’t a typo. In fact, Roethlisberger has owned the Browns since they passed on drafting him in 2004.

Karma is a real pain.

Steelers Win Total Over Under

Here in 2020, the Browns are a different team. Gone are the days of the old quarterback carousel. Gone are the days of annual roster makeovers.

Sure, the coaching and front office carousel continues—sort of. Head coach Kevin Stefanski was runner-up for the job in 2019, and Andrew Berry returns to the front office. So this isn’t the same merry-go-round we are used to seeing in Cleveland.

Old faces return, and a popular coaching choice got his job a year later. Plus, the fact exists Stefanski already has his guys on the roster with multiple talented running backs and tight ends. You will see the Browns experience a learning curve to figure out the system, but at least the puzzle pieces are in town.

And the Steelers must realize and respect that.

Since the only weakness in Pittsburgh’s defense rested with the run defense, which ranked fourteenth of 32 teams, it turns the Browns into a legitimate threat to beat Pittsburgh twice in 2020.

Onto the Cincinnati Bengals, who are under the radar. Sure, they are coming off a 2-14 disaster in 2019, but with a new quarterback in Joe Burrow and a proven receiving unit and running back, the Bengals may play better than advertised.

It is unlikely, but it is also wrong to write off the Bengals as 2 guaranteed wins, as the Steelers often can. In a year where without live, off-season practices, look for elements of surprise from teams like the Bengals.

While you will find the Steelers favored to sweep the Browns and Bengals, it is foolish to write them off as 2 guaranteed wins. It is wise to believe the Steelers have 4 wins here, but unwise to assume them.

2. Ben Roethlisberger Versus Father Time

Ben Roethlisberger is a future Hall of Fame quarterback, and even his biggest critics can’t dispute this. You also can’t dispute that quarterbacks play longer than ever before, given protections they never had in the past.

Ben can join the club that includes Drew Brees (41) and Tom Brady (43) as quarterbacks who have at least a year left in their NFL careers.

While Ben’s injuries were never major enough to keep him out of action for an entire season until 2019, they take tolls on quarterbacks unable to avoid them. Even in today’s game.

Take Andrew Luck, who retired prematurely because of piling injuries. Other quarterbacks, like Cam Newton, regressed in recent years for the same reasons.

The list doesn’t stop at Luck and Newton. Players like Carson Wentz, who faced injuries even during his college days, also fit that mold.

Now that Ben is returning from a major injury at age 38, the question remains if he can return to 100 percent or will the bug hit him as it hit Luck and perhaps Newton? Even his career span doubled that of Luck’s.

When betting at NFL sites that the Steelers will cross the 9.5-win threshold – it must be considered that it is a risk. Even though the Steelers are one of the NFL’s most complete teams with Ben Roethlisberger – is he the same quarterback?

If this were 2010, you take your chances. Ben would get the Steelers to the 10-win mark and probably to a place the franchise hasn’t been since 2010.

Here in 2020, it is a total toss-up, and the restrictions in place aren’t helping. While players around the league organized workouts reminiscent of when the 2011 NFL Lockout occurred, lack of live practice reps in a team setting after coming back from an injury is a tremendous concern.

Sure, a quarterback from Ben’s caliber may pick up where he left off in 2018 when he threw for 5,000 yards. But this isn’t a young Ben Roethlisberger.

While a 41-year-old Drew Brees, 38-year-old Philip Rivers, and 43-year-old Brady can still sling it, they remained healthier throughout their careers than Ben minus Bress’ separated shoulder in 2005 and Brady’s torn ACL in 2008.

3. No Skill at the Skill Positions

While the Steelers defense trends upward, the offense is trending downward at an alarming rate. Suppose Ben Roethlisberger returns to the Ben we are used to seeing. He has the talent to elevate those around him to higher levels.

Steelers Over Under Win Totaled

Antonio Brown is long stated he’s done playing football while Le’Veon Bell is now averaging 3.2 yards per carry with a struggling New York Jets offense. A shell of his former self.

Worse yet, Juju Smith-Schuster, who had an Antonio Brown type of season in 2018, was mediocre in 2019. Sure, Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges threw him the ball, but going from 100+ receptions to 42 is a major red flag. Yeah, he battled injuries. But he still recorded 42 receptions in just 12 games, or 3.5 receptions per game.

After Smith-Schuster, the Steelers have some talent, but no one is proven. Rookie Chase Claypool has the size and speed to contribute in his rookie season. But he must play catch up in 2020, as with rookies on all 32 teams.

Dionte Johnson put up some gaudy numbers as a rookie and was even an All-Pro on special teams, but given the injuries the Steelers suffered, the team thrust him into a go-to role. But he failed to light up the league as other rookie receivers.

The leader in receiving yards in 2019? James Washington, who led the team with 735. He is a deep threat, but he has yet to break out and impress as he heads into his third season.

New tight end Eric Ebron put up some fantastic numbers as a Colt in 2018 before he laid an egg in 2019 with just 31 receptions.

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The run game was nonexistent, and it forced the Steelers to go one-dimensional in 2019 with quarterbacks whose NFL ceiling rests as game managers. James Conner led the team with 464 rushing yards while Benn Snell logged 426. No Steeler averaged over 4 yards a carry in 2019.

Often, with backup quarterbacks, the run game must step up to set up opportunities in the passing game, and the backs failed to accomplish this.

While 2020 is a new season and Ben figures to return by Week 1, here is a harbinger for the upcoming season.

The Steelers offense ranked 30th in 2019, and even with Ben on the field for 10 quarters in 2019, they didn’t play exciting football. It began with a 33-3 meltdown against the New England Patriots before Ben left the game against the Seattle Seahawks with the elbow injury.

The Steelers drafted Claypool and change of pace running back Anthony McFarland. But again, the lack of off-season workouts because of the season delays doesn’t help them. And the odds are stacked even further against them now that the NFL axed preseason.

While Ben Roethlisberger can elevate talent around him, he and the rest of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks are rookies when they must mentor the kids on the fly in a year where all games count.

4. Danger: Shallow Depth

The Steelers proved this last season, and it led to a disappointing 8-8 finish where even the talented Steeler defense failed to save the offense.

It hit James Conner and Juju Smith-Schuster. Dionte Johnson was dinged up, leaving the Cleveland game in the third quarter.

And while the Steelers sat at 8-5 heading into the final 3 games of 2019, they barely won 6 of those contests. The defense played well enough to bail out the offense, where second and third-string players comprised the skill positions.

But as with so many teams with money locked up with top talent, depth is a major issue.

It’s why Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges sat behind Ben Roethlisberger instead of a more capable backup.

Steelers Over Under Win Totals

Look at some of these teams.

• In Cleveland, Case Keenum is behind Baker Mayfield.
• In Indianapolis, Jacoby Brissett sits behind Philip Rivers.
• Andy Dalton is second fiddle to Dak Prescott in Dallas.

What Was The Over Under On The Steelers Game

Take Cleveland again, where Kareem Hunt sits as the back behind Nick Chubb. In Denver, Phillip Lindsay spells Melvin Gordon. No one has a clue who will win the second spot in Pittsburgh’s backfield. One where none of these backs would start for another NFL team.

Look up and down the depth chart. You see a similar pattern. The Steelers have a lot of money tied up in top-tier talent. It’s how the best teams win games. But as the Steelers found out in 2019, the injury bug will sink teams that lack depth.

And it sunk their 2019 season.

It is a factor to consider. Some teams will continue to thrive even if a starter or star player goes down. Bridgewater did it for Brees in 2019. Capable backups do it often across the league.

Conclusion

The season hinges on Ben Roethlisberger and whether he can return to form following a serious elbow injury.

If Ben returns to his 2018 status, the Steelers are in business. But he is 38, and there isn’t a quality quarterback behind him. The Steelers lack quality depth in almost every position. Not good for a team injuries hit in 2019.

The Steelers running game did nothing to help the fringe talent at quarterback, and not a single pass-catcher stepped up as a real go-to.

What do you think? Can Ben work his magic once more, or are the Steelers done?