Steelers (7-0) at Cowboys (2-6)
Sunday, 4:25 ET, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
TV: CBS
Danny Sheridan’s line: No line Steelers’ keys to victory: The defense has been suffocating, forcing turnovers and shutting down drives with regularity. Edge defender T.J. Watt should have a field day working against the Cowboys’ tackles, which will further infuriate a Dallas fan base still smarting over the franchise’s decision to draft Taco Charlton over the Wisconsin stud in 2017. Bringing Watt from various positions to harass the quarterback will be key. On offense, QB Ben Roethlisberger will have time to step up into the pocket and find intriguing rookie WR Chase Claypool against a secondary that too often gets caught with its eyes in the backfield.
Cowboys’ keys to victory: They are going to need their offensive stars to shine at the same time, which has been rare this season. RB Ezekiel Elliott will need to shorten the game with not just positive-yardage runs, but explosive ones as well that will loosen the defense. Then WRs Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and rookie CeeDee Lamb will need to work the various levels of the field to keep the defense moving forward and back in confusion.
Matchup to watch: Steelers’ defensive interior vs. Cowboys’ interior blockers. Stephon Tuitt, Tyson Alualu and Cameron Heyward are a monster front that wreaks havoc on every opponent. How well will All-Pro Zack Martin, rookie Tyler Biadasz and guard Connor Williams be able to keep the pocket clean for the Dallas quarterback, whether it’s rookie Ben DiNucci or Andy Dalton?
Who wins? There is little chance the Dallas offense is able to mount a noteworthy attack. Steelers 37-17