The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an interesting start to the 2014 season, as they held off a surging Browns team in Week 1, got crushed by the Ravens in Week 2 and dominated the Panthers in Week 3. Needless to say, it’s hard to gauge exactly what kind of team Steelers fans have so far. While it’s been an up and down ride, the good news is that Pittsburgh is 2-1 and should be looking at a 3-1 start with a nice home contest against the 0-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4.
A likely win brings major value this week, as Pittsburgh Steelers tickets will be just $184.96 on average, while fans pay merely $71 to get into the stadium. That average is 10% below the season average from games at Heinz Field this year. A win would solidify that value, to be sure, but after seeing the Bucs get trampled 56-14 last week by the hands of the Falcons, it’s hard not to love Pittsburgh’s chances. The games are played for a reason, though, and the Steelers will have to come out and play their best against a team that should be very hungry for their first win of the 2014 season.
Pittsburgh should be facing second-year quarterback Mike Glennon, who will step up and get the start in place of injured quarterback, Josh McCown (hand). Glennon looked shaky last week and was a mixed bag as a rookie last year, giving the Steelers a favorable matchup on paper from the start.
The real question comes on Pittsburgh’s defense in this one, however, as they will be without linebackers Ryan Shazier and Jarvis Jones. James Harrison was brought back out of retirement to help this banged up unit, and how much he’s needed and/or how well he plays could be a major key to this contest. Even if the Steelers can’t stop Glennon, though, it’s unlikely Tampa Bay puts the clamps on Ben Roethlisberger and this Steelers offense at home. Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown have both remained red hot through three weeks, and will likely be too much for the Bucs to handle this week.
