Just one more week of preseason football remains before the scores actually start to count. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers will kick off the final week of exhibition action with a 7 p.m. kickoff tonight.
Pittsburgh is a 5.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook (-250 Moneyline), with the game total set at 35.5 points. Carolina is +205 on the Moneyline.
Below, I’ve broken down the game and offered my prediction.
Steelers vs. Panthers prediction
The Panthers, who finished a dreadful 5-12 last season, have looked equally hapless in the preseason so far, losing both of their games and posting the league’s third-worst point differential. Bryce Young looked good in his two drives against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 before a dreadful pair against the Houston Texans in Week 2, and neither Andy Dalton nor Jake Plummer has looked particularly good as a backup option. Plummer will get the majority of the reps tonight, with both Young and Dalton shelved, and fourth-round pick Trevor Etienne should have an opportunity to claim the third running back spot behind Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. It also could be an opportunity for Brycen Tremayne and Jimmy Horn Jr. to compete for roster spots.
The Steelers won’t be playing their marquee name, Aaron Rodgers, who has expectedly sat out the entire preseason in advance of his 21st and final season. Still, it’s likely that Pittsburgh fans will see three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey for the first time in black and gold following his summer trade from the Miami Dolphins, and the entire secondary — Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., Juan Thornhill, DeShon Elliott, and Darius Slay — will likely see some action. With Slay coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles and Thornhill joining from the Cleveland Browns, chemistry is key. Only four starters — Rodgers, DK Metcalf, T.J. Watt, and Cameron Heyward — have been ruled out.
Steelers vs. Panthers pick, best bet
Despite not playing any skill-position starters for the first two weeks, the Steelers managed to pick up a win and a narrow loss to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that briefly featured starters on both sides of the ball, including star running back Bucky Irving, who played three drives. Skylar Thompson has looked good, completing 69.8% of his passes for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception as he vies for the backup role with Mason Rudolph, and Pittsburgh should feel pretty comfortable that either of those quarterbacks can out-duel Plummer. The Steelers like what they have in third-round running back Kaleb Johnson, who’s held it down while Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell have combined for two carries.
If Pittsburgh’s starters can’t beat a Carolina team that has suffered two blowout defeats while giving at least some playing time to most of its offensive starters, that’ll be a major cause for concern. Plummer hasn’t proven himself to be an NFL-quality quarterback; Rudolph, despite his mediocre track record as a starter, has. First-round pick Derrick Harmon looked good in his debut on Sunday, sacking Kyle Trask in the first quarter, and fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer has a trio of tackles. Besides Tetairoa McMillan, who won’t play, no Panthers draftee has looked as good.
