Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, 9/25/11, 8:20 PM EST, TV: NBC
Opening Point Spread: Pittsburgh -12.5
Current Betting Line: Pittsburgh -10.5
Opening Total: 39
Current Total: 39.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Without Peyton Manning under center following neck surgery, the Indianapolis Colts are simply not worthy of hosting a game of this caliber on national television. Then again, the Pittsburgh Steelers did not look ready for prime time either following their season-opening 35-7 loss at Baltimore.
The Steelers (1-1) rebounded nicely though last week in posting their first shutout since 2008 while the Colts (0-2) are still looking for their first win of the season on Sunday Night Football. Indianapolis has dropped its first two games for the first time since Manning was a rookie en route to a 3-13 mark in 1998.
Kerry Collins has performed about as expected as Manning’s replacement after coming out of retirement to help Indy. Collins has lost three fumbles and thrown one interception in the first two games while getting sacked five times for 40 yards. That does not bode well as he prepares to go up against a dangerous Pittsburgh defense coming off an outstanding performance last week in a 24-0 win over Seattle, especially since he is also dealing with a shoulder injury.
The Steelers (-10.5, O/U 39.5) had a lot to be fired up about heading into their game against the Seahawks and did everything they needed to do to get back on track as a potential Super Bowl contender. Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger passed for nearly 300 yards and running backs Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman combined for 115 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The defenses should take center stage on Sunday night since some of the NFL’s top pass rushers will be on display. The Steelers will no doubt look to pressure Collins, who has converted just 5 of 23 third-down opportunities in the first two games. Meanwhile, Indianapolis knows the key to holding Pittsburgh in check offensively is to do the same thing to Roethlisberger.
The Colts have split four meetings with the Steelers since Manning has been in the league, but they are just 6-18 all-time vs. Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger’s passer rating against Indy is just 58.9 with five interceptions in two regular-season games, although he did beat the Colts in the 2006 playoffs on the way to his first Super Bowl win.
Collins has performed fairly well against the Steelers during his career, going 3-1 in four starts with five touchdowns and one interception. However, he threw for just 149 yards with one touchdown and one interception, was sacked twice and lost a fumble the last time he faced them. The UNDER is 3-1 in the past four meetings.
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