Can the Steelers' offense finally break out and put some points on the board? That's the big question for Pittsburgh heading into its Monday night matchup with the Houston Texans.
‘Monday Night Football’ 2014 live stream: How to watch Texans vs. Steelers online
A floundering Pittsburgh offense faces a stingy Houston defense in primetime. Could that spell the end for Todd Haley?
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Fresh off a 31-10 shellacking at the hands of the Cleveland Browns, Todd Haley and his offense are under intense fire in Pittsburgh. Against the Browns, the unit went 0-3 in red zone attempts, didn't score a touchdown until the two-minute warning of the second half and watched Ben Roethlisberger complete only half of his 42 attempts. Despite ranking fourth in yards per game, the Steelers are in the bottom third in scoring offense (20.7 points per game).
Haley can't be too excited then about the challenge he faces on Monday night. Led by the unblockable J.J. Watt, the Texans' defense is allowing the sixth-fewest points per game and have given up over 20 points in regulation just once in six games. And that was all without No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, who was back at practice last week and could make his return from a knee injury against Pittsburgh. He has been a limited practice participant and is listed as questionable.
“Very anxious to be out there with my teammates playing in a NFL game because I haven’t played since the first game,” Clowney told the team’s website. “I’m looking forward to playing again and just taking it one day at a time and getting back out there.”
Either way, the Steelers are in for a tough challenge and Haley’s job may depend on how they answer it.
How to Watch
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden
Online Streaming: WatchESPN
Odds
The Steelers are favored by 3 points at home, with an over/under of 44, according to OddsShark.
Further Reading
For more on the Texans, check out Battle Red Blog. To keep reading about the Steelers, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain.
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