Dec 3, 2020 5 min read

The Steelers were due for a stinker. I mean a real stinker.

And that’s what we go Wednesday afternoon with their 19-14 win over the Ravens.

They also had their Super Bowl hopes dealt a serious blow when outside linebacker Bud Dupree was lost to a torn ACL with just over five minutes to play.

Losing inside linebacker Devin Bush a little more than a month ago was a serious blow to the Steelers. But they could overcome that because they still had the NFL’s best defensive front. They still might, even without Dupree, but it’s not nearly as dangerous as it was prior to his injury.

It’s that front, particularly the pass rush, that gives them a chance to win every game. It will still be good with T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt, but it’s not nearly as balanced as it was before Dupree went down.

The biggest issue the Steelers now face with Dupree out is that they no longer have any margin for error. They can’t have a situation like they did against the Ravens when Tuitt was unable to play because he was on the Reserve/COVID-19 List.

They need all of their stars now more than ever.

• You have to feel for Dupree. He has worked hard to make himself into not just a good player, but a great one.

He was being well compensated for this season on the franchise tag, making $15.8 million. But with this ACL injury coming in the first week of December, Dupree isn’t going to be anywhere near 100 percent when the free agency period begins in March.

Any team that signs him then would be hoping that he’ll be ready for the start of the season.

That might not preclude a team from signing him to a long-term deal, but it probably won’t be for the $20 million per year deal Dupree might have gotten had there been several teams fighting for his services.

And given that he has 19.5 sacks in his past 27 games, there would have been plenty of teams fighting for his services.

As it is, perhaps Dupree should look for a one-year deal that will allow him to cash in after the 2021 season.

• Dupree’s injury speeds up the process for rookie Alex Highsmith with the Steelers. The Steelers selected him in the third round of this year’s draft as their eventual replacement should they not be able to sign Dupree to a long-term deal.

Now, they’ll get the final five games of the 2020 season – and whatever playoff games come – to see if he has a chance to be the long-term solution opposite Watt.

They like what they’ve seen thus far. But Highsmith also hasn’t played more than 25 defensive snaps in a game yet. So, it’s a small sample size.

This Week’s Picks

Washington (plus 9) against Steelers: The Steelers playing an opponent they don’t see often on a short work week? This has all of the makings of a game that will be much closer than a 9-point spread. Washington’s defense is good. In fact, it’s second to Pittsburgh in sacks this season. So, there’s a good chance Roethlisberger’s streak of 199 pass attempts without being sacked comes to an end. The Steelers should win this one at home, but it will be tight. Take Washington to cover in a 24-17 loss to the Steelers.

Titans (minus 6) over Browns: The Browns have been outscored 95-16 in their three losses this season, all of which have come against teams with winning records. In fact, their only win over a team with a winning record came against the Colts. The other seven have come against teams that have losing records. The Titans are a good team. Take the Titans, 31-20

Dolphins (minus 12) over Bengals: The Bengals aren’t going to get a 103-yard kickoff return every week to keep things close like they did last week against the Giants. They’re just not in a good place right now. And the Dolphins’ defense will take full advantage of that, as will Ryan Fitzpatrick. Take the Dolphins, 27-13

Patriots (minus 1) over Chargers: Look, the Patriots aren’t a good football team. But they are well coached. The Chargers aren’t a good football team, either. And they’re poorly coached. Bill Belichick and company will come up with something to confuse rookie quarterback Justin Herbert and force some mistakes. Take the Patriots, 20-17

49ers (minus 1) over Bills: Buffalo’s defense hasn’t been nearly as good this year as it was last, and the 49ers will do some things schematically in the run game that will hurt the Bills. Buffalo also won’t have wide receiver John Brown available, either. And the Bills haven’t been as good offensively when they haven’t had Brown to take pressure off Stefon Diggs. Take the 49ers, 24-21

Last Week: 2-2-1 ATS

Overall: 30-26-4

Dale Lolley covers the Steelers for DKPittsburghSports.com and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.