Pros
- The Pittsburgh Steelers have called the 9th-most plays in the NFL since the start of last season, averaging a monstrous 63.9 plays per game.
- The forecast calls for 19-mph wind in this game. High wind generally means lower pass volume (and increased run volume) and decreased passing efficiency.
- THE BLITZ projects Najee Harris to earn 16.0 carries in this week’s contest, on average, ranking in the 92nd percentile among RBs.
- Najee Harris has picked up 60.0 rushing yards per game since the start of last season, one of the biggest marks in the league among running backs (91st percentile).
- The Cleveland Browns defensive tackles profile as the 7th-worst unit in football since the start of last season in regard to stopping the run.
Cons
- The Steelers are a 4.5-point underdog in this game, likely leading to a passing game script.
- THE BLITZ projects the Steelers to run the 11th-least offensive plays on the slate this week with 60.5 plays, given their underlying tendencies and game dynamics.
- THE BLITZ projects Najee Harris to be a much smaller piece of his offense’s rushing attack this week (66.1% projected Carry Share) than he has been since the start of last season (77.2% in games he has played).
- The Pittsburgh Steelers O-line ranks as the 4th-worst in the NFL since the start of last season at run-game blocking.
- Najee Harris’s running effectiveness (2.97 yards per carry) has been some of the worst in football this year (17th percentile among running backs).
Projection
THE BLITZ
68
Rushing Yards