NFL PICKS Week 14: Good week for teams from the "PA", while Cowboys, Chiefs, Eagles cover big spreads
BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-4) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-7) LINE: Pittsburgh -2.5 CHEWABLE : You might already know about the greatest, spine-tingling tradition in the NFL, but to those who don’t — for almost 21 years (since a Jan. 5, 2002 playoff game against Cleveland) the Steelers have pumped up their home crowd and their defence by blasting the 1978 Styx classic “Renegade” over the stadium loud speakers, usually when the team needs a big second half STOP. Fans wave their yellow towels and scream along, and the Steelers respond. Now they need another song, for a big second half GO, or CONTINUE GOING. After a 2-6 start, Pittsburgh has won three of its last four an d now appears intent on extending Mike Tomlin’s run of seasons with a .500 record or better to 16 in a row. In the past four games rookie QB Kenny Pickett has not thrown an interception and the Steelers have three wins. The turnaround also coincides with the return of their most important player. They went 1-6 with T.J. Watt sidelined by a pectoral injury, but since his return the pass rush has gone from 30th to top six. Watt now has a ribs injury that kept him from practice Thursday and limited throughout the week, so the Steelers might have to do without him this week. If they had a CONTINUE GOING song, they could cue it now … As far as fall-back plans go, Tyler Huntley is not a bad one for injured Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson. He completed 27-of-32 passes against a good Denver defence last week, and added 10 carries for 41 yards which is actually below his yards per carry average (5.34 yards) over 67 career runs. But the Ravens first-place standing has been built on a cream puff schedule. They needed a two-yard TD run and the extra point with 28 seconds left to beat the Broncos 10-9 last week, and since a 3-3 start they have gone 5-1 against teams with a combined record of 26-47. With three inter-division games among the final left five on their schedule, the Steelers can’t afford any loss right now. But for them to lose in desperation mode, at home, to a backup quarterback and against a team that they have defeated the last four times meetings, with Huntley unable to hear himself think through the playing of Renegade in the fourth quarter … it seems highly unlikely. TAKING: PITTSBURGH -2.5 SCORE (O/U 37): Steelers 21, Ravens 15
