New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday Night Football Pick

New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday Night Football Pick: The Steelers didn’t play well down the stretch against the Bengals, and that makes me worry about them a little bit. They’ve really had trouble closing teams out, and a lot of that has to do with stupid turnovers and a lack of consistency from the offense. Think about it, without a trick play that really should have been an interception, the Steelers might have walked away from the Monday Nighter against the Bengals with a loss – and they absolutely dominated that game for the better part of 3 quarters. They’ve played a lot of close games in a row (the Cleveland game was closer than 28-10 makes it look) and eventually that’s going to wear on the Steelers or they’re going to lose one they should win.

Pittsburgh’s defense has trouble against accurate passers, and if Tom Brady is anything, he’s a sniper from the QB position. He’s smart and he’ll find holes in that blitz-happy Steelers defense. It only takes a couple block pick-ups or a slip on a slant to turn a short play into a touchdown against a blitz-happy team, and the Patriots will likely make that happen. Tom’s ability to move away from a blitz and accurately find his receiver will help against the Steelers. And if Brady can get the blitz picked up, he might have time to get a couple big plays over the top to Tate or over the middle to Hernandez.

The Patriots were beat up by Peyton Hillis and company last week, but the Steelers rushing attack isn’t as prolific as the Browns. They aren’t as physical and the offensive line struggles were part of the reason the Steelers couldn’t put that game away in Cincinnati.

I don’t see the Patriots coming out and laying an egg 2 weeks in a row, and I think the Steelers’ inconsistencies catch up. I’ll take Tom Brady and a handful of points – expecting this one to stay close.

New England Patriots (+5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers