5 most interesting NFL matchups to watch Week 16

3. Steelers offensive line vs. Colts defensive front

Pittsburgh’s 11-0 start suddenly seems like something that occurred pre-pandemic. Back-to-back losses have Steelers fans pressing the panic button. Fortunately, that’s not the case for Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff.

There’s been a great deal of concern about Ben Roethlisberger’s inability to throw the ball downfield this season. It’s clear his arm strength is starting to wane. It’s equally obvious that some of his inability to push the ball down the field is due to his offensive line’s inability to provide him with a clean pocket.

The ineffectiveness of Pittsburgh’s offensive line has also stopped them from running the ball as effectively as Tomlin would like. Expect the Steelers to place a renewed emphasis on grinding yards out on the ground this week in an effort to get their season back on track.

The problem with that strategy is that this week’s opponent presents the Steelers with a really bad matchup. The Colts’ defensive front is among the best total units in the NFL. Pittsburgh can’t simply decide to try to outmuscle Indianapolis if they want to win this game. They’ll still need to throw the ball efficiently to have any chance of stopping Frank Reich’s team.

As it stands, Pittsburgh’s front has to play better. If they don’t, the Colts’ defensive line is going to drop the Steelers to 11-3 this week.