Steelers (8-6) at Jets (5-9)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV: CBS
Danny Sheridan’s line: by 3
Steelers’ keys to victory: The Steelers have one of the best defenses in the NFL thanks in large part to a secondary that features safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds. Those two have the potential to make life miserable for Jets QB Sam Darnold, who is coming off a two-turnover performance against a talented Ravens defense. If Pittsburgh’s secondary can do a relatively easy job in spying on Darnold’s few remaining healthy targets, he could be a sitting duck.
Jets’ keys to victory: QB Sam Darnold has struggled when playing talented defenses, such as the those of the Ravens and the Patriots, and he also had some bad days against bad teams such as the Dolphins. Part of that has to do with a Swiss-cheese offensive line, and some of it has to do with a lack of able bodies. But at the end of the day, Darnold is the Jets’ franchise quarterback, and they need him to play like one if they have any shot at winning this game.
Matchup to watch: Jets RB Le’Veon Bell vs. his former team. It’s been a weird first season with New York for Bell, who rarely has gotten the touches he was accustomed to when he played for Pittsburgh. Now, after sitting out all of 2018, Bell will get a chance to stick it to his former team – if coach Adam Gase gives him some chances.
Who wins? The mini-bye will give the Jets a chance to get healthy – something they desperately need – but that won’t make a difference against the playoff-hungry Steelers.
Steelers, 24-13
Steelers
Steelers schedule
L ... at New England ... 33-3 L .......... Seattle .......... 28-26 L ..... atSanFran . ..... 24-20 W ....... Cincinnati ....... 27-3 L .... Baltimore .... 26-23 OT W . at L.A. Chargers . 24-17
BYE
W .......... Miami .......... 27-14 W .... Indianapolis .... 26-24 W ...... L.A.Rams ...... 17-12 L ...... at Cleveland ...... 21-7 W .... at Cincinnati .... 16-10 W ...... Cleveland ...... 20-13 W ...... atArizona ...... 23-17 L .......... Buffalo .......... 17-10 Dec. 22 .... at N.Y. Jets .... 1 Dec. 29 ... at Baltimore ... 1
Jets schedule
L L L .......... Buffalo .......... 17-16 ........ Cleveland ........ 23-3 .. at New England .. 30-14
BYE
L .... at Philadelphia .... 31-6 W .......... Dallas .......... 24-22 L ..... NewEngland ..... 33-0 L ... at Jacksonville ... 29-15 L ........ atMiami ........ 26-18 W ...... N.Y. Giants ...... 34-27 W .. at Washington .. 34-17 W ......... Oakland ......... 34-3 L ...... at Cincinnati ...... 22-6 W .......... Miami .......... 22-21 L ..... at Baltimore ..... 42-21 Dec. 22 ..... Pittsburgh ..... 1 Dec. 29 ..... at Buffalo ..... 1