The Pittsburgh Steelers played their Week 11 game Thursday night and because of that they’ve had a few extra days off and will now start preparing to play the Green Bay Packers Sunday night at Heinz Field. Oddsmakers firmly believe the 8-2 Steelers will easily handle the 5-5 Packers as evidenced by Pittsburgh opening as a 14-point home favorite over Green Bay, according to vegasinsiders.com.
The Packers were shutout 23-0 by the Baltimore Ravens at home Sunday in a game that included Green Bay quarterback Brett Hundley being intercepted three times. Hundley, who took over at quarterback after starter Aaron Rodgers was lost for the season back due to injury back in Week 6, completed 21 of his 36 total pass attempts for 239 yards against the Ravens defense on Sunday in addition to being sacked six times.
For the season, Hundley has completed 60.8% of his pass attempts for 940 yards with two touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s also been sacked 17 times since taking over for Rodgers.
The Packers running game is now in the hands of running back Ty Montgomery. Montgomery has rushed for 273 yards and three touchdowns this season and he’s also caught 23 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown in the Packers first 10 games of the season.
Green Bay enters Week 11 with three wide receivers who have caught 35 or more passes in Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson. Those three players have 13 combined touchdown receptions on the season and over 1,400 combined receiving yards.
Defensively, Packers outside linebacker Nick Perry leads the team in sacks with seven while inside linebacker Blake Martinez leads the unit in total tackles with 83. Cornerback Damarious Randall leads the Packers in interceptions this season with three.
The Packers figure to be without the services of two key defensive players Sunday night against the Steelers as defensive tackle Kenny Clark suffered a serious ankle injury on Sunday against the Ravens while outside linebacker Clay Matthews also left that contest in the first half with a groin injury.
The Steelers, on the other hand, figure to enter their Sunday night home game against the Packers as a very healthy team as safety Mike Mitchell (ankle) and tight end Vance McDonald (ankle) might be back in action for that contest after sitting out the Thursday night game against the Tennessee Titans with their short-term injuries.
The Steelers are 4-0 against the Packers in the last four regular season meetings between the two teams. The last time the two teams played each other was during the 2013 regular season and the Steelers won that game at Lambeau Field 38-31.
The last time the Packers beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh was in 1970 in a game that was played at Three Rivers Stadium. The previous meeting between the Packers and Steelers in Pittsburgh was in 2009 at Heinz Field with the home team winning 37-36 on the game’s final play, a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Mike Wallace.
