The 8-6 Pittsburgh Steelers will be on the road facing the 8-6 Detroit Lions as both teams look to boost their chances of making the postseason. After losing to the Los Angeles Rams, the Lions basically have to win out if they want any shot at reaching the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Steelers need a victory to stay ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in the race for the AFC North title.

Last weekend, the Lions had the Rams on the ropes with a 24-14 lead in the second quarter. However, LA outscored Detroit 27-10 the rest of the way for the eventual 41-34 win. The Rams' 17-point effort in the third quarter played a huge part in the Lions' loss.

“They got a jump on us that we couldn't overcome,” said Detroit head coach Dan Campbell during the postgame press conference. “Nacua had a huge day. We couldn't slow him down. Stafford played at a really high level, which we knew he would if we couldn't disrupt him and - more importantly - stop the run. We weren't able to do that.”

Playing against the Steelers presents a unique set of challenges since they do a great job of taking care of the football with a +10 turnover margin. On top of that, Pittsburgh's defense is tied for third in takeaways this season. Lions offensive coordinator John Morton credits the Steelers' coaching staff for that success.

“It's always a tough game. Mike Tomlin and (Teryl) Austin, those guys do a great job on defense. Always have historically. Do a good job up front. Playing really good up front. Secondary does a good job in coverages. Got good blitz packages,” Morton said on Thursday. “Tomlin, he's a heck of a coach… It's pretty much been the same defense forever, so they draft certain guys to fit that scheme, and then they really play it well because they know what they're doing year after year.”

Aaron Rodgers is the focal point of Pittsburgh's offense. He has created an excellent rapport with new wide receiver DK Metcalf, who leads the team in targets (90), receiving yards (808), receiving touchdowns (six), and plays of 20+ receiving yards (14).

“They've been very productive players in this league,” explained Dan Campbell during a December 18th interview. “This guy's (Metcalf) played a lot of outside receiver, but now they're putting him in the slot. I mean, they're just on the same page... He's got this run-after-catch ability. He's big. He's strong. You've got to have population to football. You can't let him get going.”

In all likelihood, this will be the Lions' last home game of the 2025-26 season, so we can expect a fantastic showing from the Detroit faithful.

"Our fans have been unbelievable. I still think we've got a great atmosphere, if not the best atmosphere in the NFL," Campbell said. "So, we want to give them something special to go out on, especially a week before Christmas."

For a second consecutive week, it seems like the Steelers will be missing their best player, outside linebacker T.J. Watt. He's still recovering from surgery to repair a collapsed lung.

"After a dry-needling session, [he] ended up having surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung," said the NFL network's Ian Rappoport on Thursday night. "[It's] certainly looking like he is not going to be out on the field in a big one against the Detroit Lions. The hope is he could be back the following week."

With T.J. Watt likely out and Pittsburgh's Nate Herbig also dealing with an injury, it'll be difficult for the Steelers to stop the Lions' fifth-ranked ground attack (131.1 rushing yards per game).

“It's a two-headed monster, but both guys are capable of a lot of damage,” said Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward on Thursday. “Jahmyr Gibbs, when he gets going, it's lightning in a bottle. With David Montgomery, [he] runs downhill. Big play ability, and it's never just one guy that gets him down. They break a lot of tackles, and they finish their runs.”

As is the case with most teams, the rushing attack sets up Detroit's aerial assault, which ranks third in the league at 248.8 passing yards per game. The ground and passing game combined give the Lions the top-ranked scoring offense in the NFL (30.6 points per game).

“I think they're leading the league in explosive plays passing, and you would think otherwise, with the run game, but Jared (Goff) gets the ball out to a lot of good receivers,” Heyward said. “He's got Jameson (Williams), and he's got (Amon-Ra St. Brown). Big play capability all around, and their screen game is very good as well.”

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a lot of familiarity with the Detroit Lions, considering this will be his 27th time going up against them. Though he has an 18-8 career record against Detroit, the Lions have bested Rodgers the last two times they have faced him.

“Back in the day - when we played there - (the noise) wasn't a big factor… But I would say, since Dan got there, it's been a different type of crowd," Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday. "We were there when their run started going, I believe in 2022… Dan has obviously created a good culture there. The fans are believing and showing up early and [are] really loud. So, it's a really good environment to play in.”

Prediction for Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions (-7)

With T.J Watt not expected to play, it doesn't seem likely that the Steelers will win this game, especially on the road. Detroit is averaging 33.7 points per game at home, while Pittsburgh's defense allows 26.2 points per game on the road. The Steelers also have a hard time defending the run, giving up 120.9 rushing yards per game (19th in the NFL). Pittsburgh isn’t good at playing from behind. They’re much better playing with a lead and leaning on the defense to force turnovers. The Lions will probably get out to a fast start, forcing the Steelers to try to play catch-up for the rest of the game. In the end, though, Pittsburgh doesn’t have the offensive firepower to go toe-to-toe with Detroit.

Prediction: Lions 28 - 21 Steelers

How to watch Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions (-7)

Steelers @ Lions starts at 4:25 p.m. EDT at Ford Field. You can watch it on CBS or stream it via the Paramount+ app or YouTubeTV.

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