The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are on a collision course for a crucial Week 15 matchup, and the two teams potentially could meet a second time in the AFC Championship Game.
But despite the Steelers having a glut of offensive weapons and a retooled defense, one prominent sports commentator doesn’t think the Patriots should be worried about the Black and Gold.
Following the Steelers’ 31-28 win over the struggling Green Bay Packers, ESPN’s Max Kellerman said Monday on “First Take” that there is no reason to believe Pittsburgh will be able to beat New England after another lackluster performance against an inferior opponent.
“I thought with a very clean pocket all night, he (Ben Roethlisberger) was very lucky that Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell are on his team,” Kellerman said. “If you’re concerned (about the Steelers) it’s because of the particulars. What you learned was, ‘oh, just like we thought in the beginning of the season, when New England was the odds on favorite against the universe to win the Super Bowl,’ most people thought, ‘OK New England is going to beat Pittsburgh again in the AFC Championship Game.’ And we still think that. So I don’t really see cause for concern because I don’t really see any new information along those lines.”
The Patriots won their seventh straight game by beating the Miami Dolphins 35-17 on Sunday to move to 9-2 on the season. Pittsburgh matched New England at 9-2 with its win over the Packers, but the Steelers will need to play a lot better in Week 15 if they plan to supplant the Patriots atop the AFC and host a potential rematch in the conference title game.
