Steelers Predicted To Likely Lose Against Broncos; Labeled As "Coaching Mismatch" For Mike Tomlin

After starting off the season 1-0, the Pittsburgh Steelers now face a new challenge as they move onto Week 2. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his team will go on the road for the second week in a row to play the Denver Broncos in an afternoon match that will start at 4:25pm ET on Sunday. With Denver's sloppy offense leading them to a loss in Week 1, the Steelers are listed as the favorites. However, Tomlin has a history of losing games as road favorites, which is why Colin Cowherd is taking the Broncos to beat the Steelers. 

Pittsburgh undoubtedly has the better football team over Denver. The Steelers' defense is likely going to cause major problems for rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who could be missing his starting left tackle. Nix threw two interceptions last week against the Seattle Seahawks, starting his career off uncomfortably. Luckily for Nix and the Broncos, Sunday will be their home opener, which gives them a leg up.

Along with home field advantage in Mile High Stadium, a key factor is Tomlin's record as the favorite. According to BetMGM, Tomlin's record as the favorite is 86-92-2 (47.3%), while 58-31-3 (64.7%) as an underdog. On the flip side, to Tomlin's advantage, the veteran head coach is 24-6 against rookie quarterbacks. 

Despite Tomlin's success against first-year signal-callers, Cowherd claims the Broncos will take the win over Pittsburgh. Cowherd continues with a questionable thought that Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton has the edge over Tomlin. 

"I think Denver wins here, they've always been good at home," Cowherd said. "I think it's a coaching mismatch. Payton's a brilliant coach. I like the Steelers as dogs, not as favorites." 

Even after the Broncos have been one of the worst teams in the AFC for quite some time, Cowherd has always been super high on Payton and his offensive play style of coaching. Additionally, Cowherd has never been a fan of Tomlin's approach and his defensive mind— especially due to his lack of playoff success in recent years.

While Russell Wilson was looking forward to his revenge game against his former team, it looks like it'll be Justin Fields making his second start this week. Fields and the offense are hopefully going to be firing on all cylinders, looking to find the end zone more. Pittsburgh is favored by a field goal over Denver in the Week 2 matchup. 

Steelers' Defense Should Wreck Game For Bo Nix And Broncos

If the Steelers do manage to lose this game, more than likely it'll be because of the offense continuing to struggle. There shouldn't be any doubt that TJ Watt and company will be a force to be reckoned with on Sunday, as always. In last week's game, the defense collected two sacks and had Kirk Cousins under constant pressure. 

The Broncos don't have nearly as many dangerous play-makers as the Falcons, which should make the defense's job even easier. Nix's top target last week was Courtland Sutton, who had 12 targets. Following Sutton as the most targeted receivers were Josh Reynolds and Devaughn Vele with eight a piece. Denver running backs Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for 18 carries for only 50 yards, averaging a rough 2.8 yards per carry. 

Fields has a great opportunity to lead the Steelers to a 2-0 start, which would then likely take him to Week 3 as the home opener starter. However, if Tomlin and Fields don't come away with a win in Denver, the fan base will react harshly and Fields' chances of securing the starting job will drop drastically. 

Who are you taking in Week 2? Will the Steelers come away with a win as favorites, or will Tomlin continue to struggle against lesser opponents? Let us know in the comments below.

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