The Pittsburgh Steelers host the slumping New York Jets, Sunday Dec 19, where the Steelers can put more of a grip on that No. 2 seed in the AFC with a win, which would also tighten the noose the Jets seem to be hanging from. NFL oddsmakers have the Steelers as -6 point home favorites over the Jets while the game's total has been posted at 35.5 points. Be sure to get the latest NFL Point Spreads for your NFL Week 15 Predictions on the New York Jets vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds.
The Jets (9-4) (5-1 V) lost to Miami 6-10, at home, in Week 14 and have dropped to second in the AFC East, two back from New England. QB Mark Sanchez completed 17 of 44 passes for 216 yards with no TD’s and one interception. Sanchez threw his 12th interception; in his last eight games he has eight TD’s but 12 interceptions. RB LaDainian Tomlinson had 19 carries for 49 yards, while WR Santonio Holmes made two catches for 57 yards and Jerricho Cotchery made five for 69 yards. Their strong defense managed five sacks and no interceptions. Mark Sanchez is playing poorly and the Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau knows how to exploit a shaken QB. "That's the way it is," Sanchez said Wednesday. "You're a hero when you win, and you're the goat when you lose." His teammates have said Sanchez isn't the only reason the Jets' offense has failed to score a touchdown in nearly 2½ games. Sanchez's 74.2 passer rating is the worst in the AFC and ranks above only Brett Favre's 69.6 and Derek Anderson's 65.9 among QBs who have thrown at least 250 passes. Ryan and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have talked about Sanchez needing to improve his fundamentals, which have slipped since the middle of the season, when he was playing well. Santonio Holmes, fresh off dropping a TD pass, is going to be targeted by the Heinz Field crowd. The Jets are 11-2 when Sanchez has an 80-plus passer rating and New York had a season-high five sacks last week. The Jets offense is ranked 13th overall (349ypg) with a 21st ranked pass game (206ypg) and the NFL’s sixth best running game (143ypg). They score the 18th most amount of points per-game (21ppg). Braylon Edwards leads the Jets offense with six TD’s. The Jets face the Steelers fourth ranked defense (293ypg), their 23rd ranked pass rush (232ypg) and the NFL’s best ranked rush defense (60ypg). The Steelers give up the second least amount of points per-game (15.2ppg). Troy Polamalu has six interceptions for the Steelers.
The Steelers (10-3) (4-2 H) beat Cincinnati 23-7, at home, in Week 14 as they sit atop the AFC North, one ahead of Baltimore. QB Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 33 passes for 258 yards with no TD’s and no interceptions. RB Rashard Mendenhall had 18 carries for 66 yards, while WR Hines Ward made eight catches for 115 yards, while WR Mike Wallace made five catches for 78 yards. Their defense got three sacks and three interceptions. The Steelers need to run the football more effectively down the stretch. They did a solid job in the beginning of the season but they’ve struggled running lately, particularly in the red zone. Injuries to the offensive line are a big reason. The Steelers will get back a big piece of their offense as starting tight end Heath Miller passed his post-concussion tests and will return to practice this week. He suffered a brutal blow to the head on Dec. 5 from Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain and missed the following game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Miller plays a major role in Pittsburgh's passing and running game and will be needed Sunday. He has 33 receptions for 384 yards and a touchdown this season and also has helped pave the way for tailback Rashard Mendenhall to set new career highs in rushing yards (1,073) and touchdowns (nine). The Steelers are 6-0 at home against the Jets all time, while Roethlisberger leads the NFL in fourth-quarter passer rating (121.1). The Steelers are ranked 19th on offense (332ypg) with an 18th ranked pass game (212ypg) and a 10th ranked ground game (120ypg). The Steelers score the 16th most points per-game (22.3ppg). Rashard Mendenhall leads their offense with nine TD’s. The Steelers battle the Jets third ranked defense (292ypg), their ninth ranked pass rush (203ypg) and the NFL’s third best ranked rush defense (88ypg). The Jets defense allows the sixth least amount of points per-game (18.6ppg).
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
- Jets are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
- Jets are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games in December.
- Jets are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Steelers are 21-8 ATS in their last 29 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0.
New York Jets vs Pittsburgh Steelers
When: Sun, Dec 19, 4:15 PM ET
Pick: Steelers -6
Point-Spreads.com recommends you get your NFL Picks Week 15 in early!
The Bottom Line: Steelers will pressure Sanchez into making stupid mistakes. Be sure to get your NFL Week 15 Predictions on the New York Jets vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Odds in early.
