Both teams enter the game 6-2 and not only will the matchup be a barometer of where each team, especially the Patriots, are at, but it could go a long way in determining homefield advantage in the playoffs.
Patriots fans will likely have some concern coming into the primetime showdown, especially with the way the two teams match up.
First of all, there's the Steelers defense. And while one of their defensive leaders, James Harrison, is "questionable," the Pats will still likely have their hands full with one of the game's best defenses.
Tom Brady is banged up with a foot injury and the Patriots are coming off of a week in Cleveland in which they didn't do anything good, especially on offense. The Steelers are practically impossible to run against, so it's safe to assume they'll have their ears pinned back with exotic blitz schemes that defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau made a Hall of Fame career on.
There's also the Pittsburgh offense. As the Browns proved last week, the Patriots are vulnerable to a strong rushing game, something the Steelers certainly have. Rashard Mendenhall enters the day ranked eighth in rushing yards and is averaging just shy of 90 yards per game. Meanwhile, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been impressive since his return from a four-game suspension. Mix in the Patriots' struggles with the passing game this season — they're ranked 28th in pass defense — and Roethlisberger could be in for a big game on Sunday.
Of course, this is the type of game the Patriots have excelled in under Bill Belichick. They've had success in Pittsburgh before and they rarely follow up a stinker like last week's with another poor performance.
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