-
Jeremy Perry
Lions vs. Steelers Point Spread: NFL Pre-Season Week 2 Odds, Prediction
The Lions didn’t get their exhibition season off on the right foot as they suffered a tough 16-15 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, did kick their season off right. They were able to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles on the road by a score of 24-16. Both teams showed some improvements in certain areas that needed attention but it will be interesting to see who they opt to roll with here. Let’s take a deeper look at this matchup.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Lions have a brand-new head coach in town this year. Dan Campbell had his first taste of being the lead man in their opening preseason game and just didn’t have enough in the tank to pull away. The Lions did look like they were fighting for the win, though.
The Steelers have had a strong recent history when it comes to the preseason. In the past four years, their head coach Mike Tomlin has accumulated a preseason record of 11-3 overall. Throughout his career, Tomlin is 33-23 in the preseason.
Detroit Lions
We finally got to see Jared Goff make his debut with his new team and it went average at best. He struggled early on but ended the night with 56 yards on seven-for-nine passing. With Goff still being a young quarterback and learning a new system, there is no doubt that he will see the field for a couple of drives against Pittsburgh. David Blough and Tim Boyle will likely split the reps once Goff exits the contest. It will also be interesting to keep an eye on the blocking of Penei Sewell, the rookie that they drafted in the first round. He had a few bad plays but overall, he performed well.
Amon-Ra St. Brown will be another rookie getting a lot of snaps in this game. He only grabbed two catches for 12 yards but has the potential to be one of the most explosive wideouts in the league in his rookie season. He should slowly be implemented into the game plan more as he creates a rapport with Goff and company.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh has a lot of questions to answer in regard to their younger players, so they should see lots of time. Ben Roethlisberger isn’t getting any young, which means finding a suitable backup is all the more important this year. Dwayne Haskins was the better quarterback in their opening game against the Philadelphia Eagles, throwing for 161 yards and a touchdown. Mason Rudolph, who was their backup all last season, completed eight of nine passes for just 77 yards. Both will be splitting playing time here as the coaching staff continues to evaluate who could be the future cornerstone of this organization. Either way, it helps the Steelers case here as they will have at least a couple of quarterbacks who have seen regular season action going up against backups.
Najee Harris is another player to keep an eye on throughout this contest. The rookie running back only got two carries for 10 yards but is eventually going to have to get some more work in. It is possible that they hold him out for the regular season but expect him to get some more action as they ramp him up.
DET
PIT