Where do we begin? There’s a reason that the Pittsburgh Steelers are big-time favorites to defeat the Green Bay Packers on "Sunday Night Football" in front of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michelle Tafoya, and a whole lot of people waving “Terrible Towels.” It is a team led by a balanced attack and one that seems to be getting its act together. More importantly, it now features a young and exciting defense that seems to get better as the game goes on. The latter has been the team’s Achilles heel in recent seasons, but this could be the year some good drafting and free-agent additions pay off in a big way.

So what does all of this mean to the Packers this weekend?

Getting better on both sides of the ball

Mike McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers, losers of four of their last five contests, may be facing a Steelers’ team just beginning to hit its stride. Led by veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (who comes off a four-touchdown pass performance in a 40-17 win over the Tennessee Titans), this is a team that can hurt you through the air and via the ground. Just 10 games into the season, prolific wide receiver Antonio Brown has hauled in 70 passes for 1,026 yards – both tops in the league – and scored six touchdowns. Running back Le’Veon Bell ranks third in the NFL with 1,194 yards from scrimmage and leads the league with 886 yards on the ground.

Led by defensive end Cameron Heyward (seven), inside linebacker Vince Williams (six), and outside backers Bud Dupree (four) and T.J. Watt (four), the Steelers have already totaled 34 sacks. This was a team that dropped opposing passers just 38 times in all of 2016. Last Thursday night (Nov. 16), they stole four of Marcus Mariota’s passes in a primetime rout of the Titans.

'Steeling' one in Pittsburgh?

So could the Green Bay Packers actually pull off a surprise on Tomlin’s team? Don’t rule out the possibility because of what we have seen from the Pittsburgh Steelers themselves this year. Despite the fact that the defending AFC North champions and current division leaders rank eighth in the NFL against the run, we have seen this unit exploited at times as its aggressive nature has backfired.

In eight wins this season, Pittsburgh has limited the opposition to fewer than 100 yards on the ground. In losses to the Chicago Bears (222) and Jacksonville Jaguars (231), they were gouged for a combined 453 rushing yards. And while the Green Bay ground game has been spotty this season, could Mike McCarthy’s offensive front come up big in primetime? Stay tuned.
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