Steelers Look to Notch History Shattering Win Over Rams

The Steelers do not have a good history when they head to Los Angeles to play the Rams. Despite Pittsburgh’s big win in Pasadena over the Rams in Super Bowl XIV, they have not scored in Los Angeles against the Rams since 1987. Overall, they are 0-9 when traveling to the City of Angels. That’s a stat line they want to crack. But it won’t be that easy.

Pittsburgh doesn’t think of history when it comes to obscure stats like these. But even still, most experts would tell you the Rams will knock off the Steelers on Sunday afternoon. They are not believers in what the team is selling. For reference, NFL Network’s crew has little confidence in the Steelers to make this win happen.

Picking the Steelers were Adam Rank, Marc Sessler, and Kevin Patra. The smallest margin of victory came from Patra, who has the Steelers winning 22-20. Maurice Jones-Drew likes the Rams to win 23-14. No one has Pittsburgh scoring more than 22 points.

The Steelers have some things working in their favor. For one, they should be healthier than they have for most of the season. Despite missing Pat Freiermuth after he aggravated his hamstring injury, Diontae Johnson’s return means a lot. So does the return of James Daniels at right guard. But the team’s issues go deeper than just those personnel issues. The coaching has not been up to snuff, and Mike Tomlin challenged his players and coaches to improve the offense over the bye week after getting hit with plenty of negativity.

There are some interesting trends here. In team history, they are just 20-38 in the Pacific Time Zone. Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin’s team comes flying off a bye week, as he is 12-4 off such weeks in these circumstances. Tomlin hopes that his expertise in this area shows itself again and that Pittsburgh can crack some natural history that has arisen for the team when they head out west.

If the Steelers do win this game, it is likely the offense has taken at least a slight step forward. But really, Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt seem like the catalysts for a win. Matthew Stafford has struggled under pressure, and if Pittsburgh can get home, they might have a shot to wreck shop all afternoon.