The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday August 18th, for their second game of the 2011 preseason. The Eagles won their last meeting 15-6 over the Steelers, but it was in 2008. NFL oddsmakers have the Steelers as -3 point home favorites over the Eagles with the over/under set at 34 points. Start your 2011 NFL preseason off right by getting your bet on the the latest Eagles vs Steelers spread avaliable now.
Philadelphia (1-0) beat Baltimore 13-6 in the preseason opener. Vick saw limited action after completing 4 of 6 passes for 74 yards then hit the bench. The Eagles starters, including Michael Vick, will be playing the entire first half of Thursday's game, and not guaranteeing that backup Vince Young will face the Steelers' starting defense once he takes the field. The Steelers second-team is not going to ease up the pressure on the Eagles offense. Vince Young relies on his mobility to evade the pass rush. He often exhibits athletic scrambling ability, though, without the focus exhibited by Vick—resulting in sacks and broken, rather than extended, plays. The Steelers are experts at rushing the passer and creating pressure, and they’ll look to capitalize on the weaknesses in Young's ability to move the pocket in order to get hits and force turnovers.
Pittsburgh (0-1) had their first preseason game against the Washington Redskins, and the Steelers' first-, second- and third-team defenses did not show the same kind of explosive play that they did throughout their 2010 season. The Steelers gave up a total of 452 yards to the Redskins in preseason Week 1, with the defensive starters taking few snaps, stars Troy Polamalu and James Harrison not on the field and safety Ryan Clark and cornerback Ike Taylor both suffering injuries. However, their second preseason game will be different for the Steelers. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin does not prioritize specific preparation for the first preseason game as a rule; for this second game the Steelers will have a specific game plan in mind. But, do not expect the Steelers defense to give up such a significant amount of yardage, even with the impressive and effective Eagles offense. The Steelers second-team defense, which will likely include rookie defensive end Cameron Heyward, safety Ryan Mundy, corner Crezdon Butler and inside linebacker Stevenson Sylvester, know how to bring pressure in the same manner as the starters; after all, they are still under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.
Philadelphia Eagles vs Pittsburgh Steelers
When: Thursday August 18th@8:00 PM ET
Pick: Patriots +2.5
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The Bottom Line: The Eagles will be crushed if Young us the quarterback. Start your 2011 NFL preseason off right by getting your Philadelphia Eagles vs Pittsburgh Steelers predictions in now.
