Cleveland Browns @ Houston Texans +2.5 (Saturday 4:30 PM EST on NBC)

Our first matchup of the weekend features two teams that many of us didn’t think would be here. The Browns have shuffled through 5 starting quarterbacks this season yet managed to finish an impressive 11-6. That is in large part due to their dominating defense which finished #1 in total team defense allowing just 270.2 yards per game.

The Texans meanwhile are playing with house money and are led by their star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud continues his strong rookie campaign where threw for 4000+ yards, 23 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. The lack of turnovers was the most glaring stat as Stroud plays with the poise of a seasoned vet.

This game will come down to the wire and will be low-scoring. Expect Stroud to do just enough to pull off the upset at home and continue the Texans surprising season.

Game Pick: Texans 21 – Browns 14

Miami Dolphins @ Kansas City Chiefs -4.5 (Saturday 8:00 PM EST on Peacock)

Next up on Saturday night, we have a banged-up Dolphins team taking on the Chiefs in chilly Arrowhead. The weather will absolutely play a part in this matchup as temperatures as expected to be in the single digits come kickoff. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are somewhat flying under the radar but you can’t count out Andy Reid and Mahomes in the playoffs.

Miami has been struggling lately as they come in losers of 2 straight. The Dolphins offense has come back down to earth a bit and is hoping star receiver Jaylen Waddle can return as he has been missed.

It’s hard to see the Dolphins coming out victorious in this one. Miami hasn’t been a good cold-weather team as Tua Tagovailoa has struggled in these types of games. Mahomes and the Chiefs move on setting up an intriguing Divisional round matchup.

Game Pick: Chiefs 24- Dolphins 16

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills -10 (Sunday 1:00 PM EST on CBS/Paramount+)

Our first Sunday game features the red-hot Bills vs. the Steelers. The Bills wrapped up the AFC East title last week in Miami and are starting to look dangerous. This will also be a cold weather game with temperatures expected to be in the low 20s.

Pittsburgh is a heavy underdog in this matchup and rightfully so. They will be without their defensive star T.J. Watt who went down last week with a knee injury. Quarterback Mason Rudolph is set to start and he will have his hands full with this Buffalo defense.

This is a tough matchup for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. They certainly weren’t expected to be here but just don’t have enough firepower to hang with the Bills. Look for a late backdoor cover for the Steelers in this one.

Game Pick: Bills 27 – Steelers 20

Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys -7.5 (Sunday 4:30 PM EST on FOX)

The first NFC matchup of the weekend will be in Dallas where the NFC East champions take on the surprising Packers. Dallas has been dominant at home where they posted a perfect 8-0 record. Most of those games haven’t been close with the exception of the Lions game that featured the controversial 2-point conversion.

Jordan Love and the Packers will be playing with nothing to lose as they were expected to have a down year in Love’s first year under center. It has been anything but that and Love has shown he can be the quarterback of the future in Green Bay.

The playoff atmosphere is different and with the lights on I think the Cowboys come out flat. They will eventually find their groove but expect the Packers to hang around until the end.

Game Pick: Cowboys 31 – Packers 24

Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions -3 (Sunday 8:00 PM EST on NBC)

In the Sunday nightcap, we have the Matthew Stafford Bowl in Detroit. To me, this is the best game of the weekend with so many storylines to explore. Along with Stafford coming back to Detroit you also have Jared Goff looking for revenge against the team that gave up on him.

You have to be impressed with what Dan Campbell did for the Lions this season. Not only did they capture their first-ever NFC North title but they have turned this once lowly franchise into one of the best teams in the league. The Lions also feature one of the most coveted head coaching candidates in Ben Johnson. Johnson is the next great offensive mind and it looks like this is the year he becomes a head coach.

The Rams come into Detroit with confidence as they are winners of 4 straight. They are led by impressive rookie Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams who both look to be late-round steals. While I do think the Rams will hang around for most of the game Detroit will be too much at home in this one.

Game Pick: Lions 28 – Rams 21

Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Bucs +3 (Monday 8:15 PM EST on ABC/ESPN)

Finally, we end Wild Card weekend with a Monday night showdown in Tampa Bay. The Eagles, who were once favorites to win the NFC come in losing 5 of their last 6 games. They have key injuries on both sides of the ball but their defense has let this team down all year.

The Bucs are another one of the surprising teams to make the playoffs. It was supposed to be a rebuilding year in Tampa but they were able to sneak into the playoffs thanks to the lowly NFC South. They now get a home playoff game and will look to avenge a week 3 loss against the Eagles.

This game comes down to who is the healthier team and right now that’s Tampa Bay. A.J. Brown has a knee injury and is not practicing while quarterback Jalen Hurts has a sprained middle finger on his throwing hand. Philadelphia is reeling and this game will put an end to a season that had so much promise.

Game Pick: Bucs 24 – Eagles 14

The post Wild Card Weekend Picks appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Good

T.J. Watt has become one of the best outside linebackers in the NFL today. Watt had a monster season in 2021 where he racked up 22 sacks for the Steelers. Injuries somewhat limited his 2022 campaign as he was only able to play in a total of 10 games. Watt will look to get back to his 2021 form this season and continue to build his impressive resume. One stat that is incredible when you look at Watt is his sack rate. Watt has averaged 0.9 sacks per game which is the best in NFL history. Expect double-digit sacks again this year for Watt.

The Bad

When looking more at the Steelers roster the biggest weakness is the offensive line. This line is somewhat unproven and will best tested right from the start in their week 1 battle against San Francisco. The major question mark is at the LT position. As of now, it looks like Dan Moore Jr. will hold down that spot but if he struggles the Steelers could turn to rookie Broderick Jones. Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense will need this line to improve in order to take the next step.

The Prediction

The AFC North will be one of the best divisions in football this season. I have the Steelers finishing 3rd but making the playoffs as a wild card. Pickett will impress and the emergence of George Pickens will make this a dynamic offense.

2023 Record: (10-7 3rd in the Division)

The post Pittsburgh Steelers Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Trenton Roberts (Twitter: @TRobertsNFL)

Background:

As the NFL offseason slowly moves along, there is increasingly less to talk about as we wait for the season to roll around. With more time on our hands, writers and journalists are looking for anything to write about. That was where the idea for this series arose from.

In the NFL today, there are many young talents who seem to already be heading towards acquiring a bust in Canton. Reaching the NFL Hall-of-Fame is one of the most prestigious honors any player can hope to achieve in their careers and is what motivate many players to improve and play at the highest level. In this series, we will discuss how some of these players have already left their marks and what they can do to ensure their eventual enshrinement.

Over the next ten weeks, we will make our way through twenty total players in the NFL today under the age of 28 who are well on their ways to the Hall. Twice a week, a new name will be discussed and debated in order to see where they stand and what they can do in their “Quest for Canton”.

Article:

As we get into the second week of the Quest for Canton Mini-Series, it’s time we look at our first defender. While offense is fun, I’ve always been more enthralled by the pass rush, and there is perhaps no edge defender better at it today than Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.

The younger brother of three-time defensive player of the year and future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt, T.J. has made a name for himself in his four seasons in the league. Since being drafted with the 30^th pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Watt has started in all 64 games he has appeared in, missing just two of the team’s 66 games in that span.

In that stretch, Watt has totaled a whopping 49.5 sacks (including a league leading 15.0 in 2020), a total which ranks him third during that span, behind Chandler Jones (50.0) and Aaron Donald (57.5). His overall pressure is also elite, with his 111 quarterback hits during that time frame leaving him second to Donald (120).

Looking at the first 4 seasons for pass rushers in history, Watt’s 49.5 sacks ranks 7^th all-time in that department, with five of the six ahead of him being current or future Hall of Famers (Mark Gastineau is the only one to miss the cut). His 17 forced fumbles through four seasons ranks him fifth in that category, behind three future Hall of Famers (Freeney, Mathis, Ware). 

Despite his success as a pass rusher throughout his career, Watt has also developed a strong nose for the ball. His four interceptions through four seasons tie him with Packers legend Clay Matthews III for the most all-time for a player with over 40 sacks in their first four years in the league. 

T.J. Watt’s knack for forcing fumbles and intercepting the ball make him one of the most feared pass rushers of this generation. Still just 26 years old, Watt is just now ready to enter his prime, which is a terrifying thought for any quarterback who has seen what the young phenom has already accomplished.

With 31 linebackers and 38 defensive linemen already in Canton, Watt seems to be at one of the better positions to get noticed and make a run for a gold jacket. Should he continue his current trajectory and win a few defensive player of the year awards along the way, expect the youngest Watt to join his older brother in the Hall of Fame someday.

Come back again later this week for our fourth player in the Quest for Canton Mini-Series: Cowboy’s running back Ezekiel Elliott.

The post Timeline and outlook of TJ Watt’s dominant career appeared first on Pro Football Mania.