The Pittsburgh Steelers took a beating in Week 5. They lost 38-3 to the Buffalo Bills. During the game, the Bills were able to rest their QB1, Josh Allen, for a large part of the game and yet they still built their lead. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett came across as soft when he complained about a physical play that didn't look like a whole lot of anything.
Prediction: Pittsburgh finishes dead last this season
Last week, we had a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and their decision to make Pickett their top quarterback. They are clearly favoring the development of the rookie as opposed to trying to win some games with Mitch Trubisky, their former QB1. Pittsburgh was our 12 to 1 recommendation to finish the current NFL season with the worst record in the league.
How did the other relevant teams do?
The developments in that anti-race have been good for those that took the recommendation. Following the loss, bet365 slashed Pittsburgh's odds to finish with the worst record from 12 to 1 to 5 to 1. They remain third favorites in this market with the Houston Texans and the Carolina Panthers in front. Those two clubs are each 3 to 1 on the season.
However, the Texans won in Week 5 and the tie game they had to open the season looms large when it comes to avoiding the worst record. The 1-3-1 Texans are ahead of both the 1-4 Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers. In this market, a tie might be viewed as a win as it keeps a loss out of the loss column.
Meanwhile, the Panthers just sacked their head coach, Matt Rhule. It's a clear message that the team will not accept dismal results. When it comes to avoiding the bottom of the NFL, willpower might be said to be more than half of the battle.
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming up next week, Pittsburgh doesn't look like they will win a game soon. They also have the Philadelphia Eagles in the near future. A game against Miami represents Pitt's best hopes for a victory as the Dolphins are in shambles following the loss of their star QB, Tua Tagovailoa. However, the Dolphins will host the Steelers and still are a much stronger team with or without Tagovailoa.
