Lead writer Nick St. Denis and AFC East Daily contributors Dan Begnoche, Sean Donovan and Sam Hollingsworth pick the New York Jets' road matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This game will be all about defense, which is why Darrelle Revis' absence from the Jets and James Harrison and Troy Polamalu's sitting out for the Steelers are big stories. I think Revis' absence will have a bigger impact because of how the Jets base a lot of what they do defensively on their ability to put Revis in zero coverage on one side of the field. However, I'm going homer on this one. The AFC East team grinds one out with help from a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Prediction: Jets 17, Steelers 14.
The Jets are riding high after dominating the Bills. They now get a chance to make an even louder statement with a road test against the mighty Steelers. Though Pittsburgh lost to the Broncos and the Jets had their highest scoring output of the Rex Ryan era, Week 2 will go a long way to show the true mettle of each team. The Jets come back to earth facing an all-around better opponent, and Pittsburgh's still-great defense handles all the looks that are thrown at them.
Prediction: Steelers 20, Jets 13
Pittsburgh looked less-than-stellar last week after allowing 31 points at the hands of Peyton Manning and the Broncos. The Steelers' defense may not be the solid crew it was a year ago, and the absence of Polamalu and Harrison coupled with the impressive play of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and a revived defense means New York grabs only its second win in Pittsburgh in franchise history. Keep an eye on Wilson, however, who will fill in for the ever-important Revis.
Prediction: Jets 17, Steelers 13
A win here in Week 2 propels the Jets into the top-tier of teams early in the season and should help build momentum heading into next week’s divisional matchup vs. the Dolphins. Expect the Steelers to put up a fight in their home-opener, but Sanchez shines again, and the NY buzz is back to revolving around the Jets (in a positive light).
Prediction: Jets 17, Steelers 14
