The upstart Washington Football Team (4-7, 1-4 away) and undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0, 6-0 home) meet up for a Week 13 showdown on Monday afternoon. This game was initially scheduled for Thursday night, but due to Pittsburgh’s Thanksgiving matchup against the Baltimore Ravens getting moved to last Wednesday, the game was pushed back. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. EST at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. The undefeated Steelers are a 6.5-point favorite in the contest.
What to Know – Washington Football Team
Washington has taken care of business in the last two weeks against inferior opponents. The Football Team took down the Cincinnati Bengals (20-9) and then the Dallas Cowboys (41-16) on Thanksgiving. A win against the Steelers would place Washington in a tie atop the NFC East standings with the New York Giants.
Alex Smith is now 2-1 as a starting quarterback for the Football Team. Smith completed 19-of-26 passes for 149 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the blowout over the Cowboys.
Rookie running back Antonio Gibson tore through the Cowboys defense, rushing 20 times for 115 yards and three touchdowns. The three-score effort pushed Gibson’s total to 11 scores this season, including five consecutive games with a score.
Terry McLaurin caught seven of his nine targets for 92 yards, pushing his season total over 900 yards (963). Tight end Logan Thomas added four catches for 20 yards, including Washington’s only football reception.
What to Know – Pittsburgh Steelers
After a wild week of postponements, the Steelers fought hard to keep their undefeated record intact with a 19-14 win over divisional rival Baltimore. The Steelers have an opportunity to continue their historic season, entering the week as one of only 13 teams in the Super Bowl era history to start 11-0.
Ben Roethlisberger continued to generate offense through the air, connecting on 36-of-51 passes for 266 yards, a touchdown, and one pick. The 51 passing attempts were the most attempts this season for the 17-year veteran as the Steelers have transitioned to a pass-heavy offense.
No James Conner, no problem for the Pittsburgh ground game, as backup Benny Snell Jr. carried the ball 16 times for 60 yards and chipped in three receptions for 33 yards.
Tight end Eric Ebron hauled in seven receptions for 54 yards while rookie Chase Claypool secured six catches for 52 yards. Wide receivers Dionte Johnson (8 receptions, 46 yards) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (8 receptions, 37 yards, one touchdown) led the team in receptions with eight apiece.
The Pick is In
The Steelers enter Monday’s game on short rest while Washington has had extended rest since their victory on Thanksgiving. At this point in the season, with every team banged up, extended rest can be an important factor in the keys to the game. While the talent gap between the Steelers and Football Team is wide, expect the Steelers to come out a bit slow with the hangover from last week’s rare midweek game lingering.
The Pick: Football Team +6.5
