The Los Angeles Rams are heading back east to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon, their first game coming out of the bye. Pittsburgh has won three games in a row despite being without Ben Roethlisberger, so this will hardly be an easy win for the Rams.
Here are five things to know about the upcoming matchup at Heinz Field, including the history between these two teams.
Rams are 10-0 vs. AFC under Sean McVay in regular season
The Rams have already beaten the Bengals and Browns this season, moving halfway to sweeping their AFC foes once again. They went 4-0 against the other conference in each of the last two years, and with wins over the Ravens and Steelers this season, they’ll do it once again.
McVay has owned the AFC, scoring 32.2 points per game with an average winning margin of 13.6 points. He’s the first coach since the AFL-NFL merger to start his career 10-0 against the other conference, which shows just how great this stretch has been for him.
McVay’s only loss against the AFC came in Super Bowl LIII against the Patriots.
Steelers are top 5 in sacks, turnover differential
The Steelers haven’t had their usually explosive offense this season with Ben Roethlisberger out and Antonio Brown gone, but the defense has been great. They rank fifth in the NFL with 29 sacks, third with 11 interceptions and second in turnover differential (plus-11). They also have the league’s 10th-best pass defense and 11th-best overall.
The duo of T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree has been a nightmare for opposing offensive tackles, combining for 13.5 sacks together. Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein have to play at a high level if Jared Goff is to get time in the pocket.
Rams hold advantage in all-time series vs. Steelers
The Rams and Steelers rarely get together, being in opposite conferences. However, the Rams hold the edge over Pittsburgh in the all-time series, going 15-9-2 in their 26 meetings. The Steelers have been the better team lately, though, winning three straight against the Rams coming into this matchup.
The Rams’ biggest win over the Steelers came in 1947 when they blew out Pittsburgh 48-7. In 1996, the Steelers beat the Rams 42-6, which was their largest margin of victory.
Todd Gurley, James Conner have eerily similar rushing numbers in 2019
Gurley’s numbers have been underwhelming this season as his workload has been limited by the coaching staff. Conner has missed time due to injury, which has limited his numbers, as well.
Each player has started seven games and their rushing totals look very similar up to this point.
- Gurley: 92 carries, 355 yards, 3.9 YPC, 25-yard long rush, 6 TDs
- Conner: 97 carries, 380 yards, 3.9 YPC, 25-yard long rush, 4 TDs
Conner has a big advantage as a receiver, catching 29 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Gurley has just 15 receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown through the air.
The Steelers aren’t sure if Conner will play on Sunday as he recovers from a shoulder injury, but he’s a big part of their offense.
Steelers are great at limiting YAC by TEs
Rams tight ends have been great after the catch this season, gaining 254 yards after making receptions through eight games – sixth-most in the NFL. The Steelers have done an excellent job limiting the extra yardage picked up by tight ends thus far, allowing the sixth-fewest YAC (109 yards) to TEs, according to Inside Edge.
Gerald Everett has been especially good with the ball in his hands this year, making big plays in the open field. Minkah Fitzpatrick, who the Steelers acquired this season, will likely be tasked with covering Everett at times, which is a fun matchup to watch.
