The oddsmakers have generally agreed that the 5-3 Steelers open the week as early three-point favorites for Sunday’s home game against the 3-5 Green Bay Packers. Pittsburgh is coming off last Thursday’s 20-16 win over Tennessee while the Packers beat the Rams yesterday, 20-3.
Green Bay lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to a shoulder injury in the game yesterday, and last week they traded disgruntled star cornerback Rasul Douglas to Buffalo. The Steelers lost inside linebacker Cole Holcombe on Thursday with a season-ending knee injury and All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick missed the game with a hamstring injury.
Baltimore leads the AFC North with a 7-2 record after the Ravens yesterday demolished Seattle, 37-3. The Steelers, Browns, and Bengals are all 5-3. The Browns yesterday drubbed lowly Arizona, 27-0 while the Bengals impressively beat the Bills, 24-18.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson has been fined $25,000 by the NFL for suggesting that the officials in the Steelers’ loss to Jacksonville on October 29th had been bribed. Johnson said a bad call that negated a 56-yard Chris Boswell field goal in the game was evidence that the officials “must have got paid good today or something.”
NFL Week Nine concludes tonight with the Chargers meeting the Jets in New Jersey.
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