NFL Game Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Week 3

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Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Week 3

Game Preview Fantasy \| Game Notes \| Results & Schedule \| Injury Report \| Stat Comparisons \| Weather \| Team vs. Team History

ATL NO	27 24
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PIT TB	38 13
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SF KC	10 31
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TEN NYG	29 10
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DET MIN	10 24
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DAL HOU	27 13
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CLE BAL	17 24
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CIN CAR	20 7
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BUF NE	30 38
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PHI JAC	28 3
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WAS STL	16 30
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OAK ARI	23 24
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SD SEA	20 27
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IND DEN	27 13
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NYJ MIA	31 23
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GB CHI	17 20
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Week:	1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6 \| 7 \| 8 \| 9 \| 10 \| 11 \| 12 \| 13 \| 14 \| 15 \| 16 \| 17
Playoffs:	Wild-Card \| Divisional Playoffs \| Conference Championships \| Super Bowl

Fantasy Player Rankings and Projections by Mike Krueger

Pittsburgh Steelers
Rank	Player	Projections
QB 21	Charlie Batch	Pass: 210, 2 TD Rush: 0, 0
RB 8	Rashard Mendenhall	Rush: 90, 1 TD Rec: 3-20, 0
WR 21	Hines Ward	Rec: 5-60, 1 TD
WR 49	Mike Wallace	Rec: 4-50, 0 TD
TE 15	Heath Miller	Rec: 3-40, 0 TD
K 18	Jeff Reed	FG: 1/1 XP: 3/3

View all Week 3 Rankings or Projections

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rank	Player	Projections
QB 20	Josh Freeman	Pass: 180, 1 TD Rush: 20, 0
RB 28	Cadillac Williams	Rush: 50, 0 TD Rec: 3-20, 0
RB 56	Kareem Huggins	Rush: 10, 0 TD Rec: 1-10, 0
WR 35	Mike Williams	Rec: 4-50, 1 TD
WR 81	Sammie Stroughter	Rec: 2-30, 0 TD
TE 14	Kellen Winslow	Rec: 5-50, 0 TD
K 30	Connor Barth	FG: 1/1 XP: 1/1

Game Notes

Steelers Club won SB XLIII at Raymond James Stadium... Head coach MIKE TOMLIN spent 5 seasons (2001-05) as Buccaneers DB coach... Club aims for 1st 3-0 start since '07... QB Charlie Batch is 4-2 as starter vs. TB. QB Byron Leftwich spent '09 season w/Bucs... As starter on road, RB Rashard Mendenhall averages 88.2 rush yards per game (529 total)... WR Hines Ward (79; 78 rec., 1 rush) needs 2 TDs to surpass RB JEROME BETTIS (80; 78 rush, 2 rec.) for 2nd-most TDs in franchise history. Ward has reception in 180 consecutive games, 5th-longest streak in NFL history... Defense forced 7 turnovers last week (3 INTs, 4 FFs)... LB James Harrison posted 2 sacks vs. Ten. Steelers are 9-0 when Harrison has 2+ sacks in game. LB LaMarr Woodley aims for 11th in row with 0.5+ sack... CB Bryant McFadden had INT in last game vs. TB... S Troy Polamalu aims for 3rd consecutive game w/INT. Steelers have 18-3 record when Polamalu has INT.

Buccaneers Are 2-0 for 1st time since 2005 when club won NFC South... QB Josh Freeman has won 4 of past 5 starts. Passed for 2 TDs last week & posted 102.4 rating, 2nd best of career. Has 5 games with 2+ TD passes in career. Aims for 3rd in row with 2+ TD passes... RB Cadillac Williams had 27 att. last week. Bucs are 13-0 when Williams has 22+ att. (2-0 in 2010). RB Earnest Graham had 14-yard TD reception vs. Car... Rookie WR Mike Williams (4th round) aims for 3rd in row with TD catch. Had 35-yard TD last week & has TD in each of 1st 2 career games. TE Kellen Winslow had 4 catches for team-best 83 yards (20.8 avg.) last week, tied for his 2nd highest single-game avg. (min. 4 rec.). Had 20.8 avg. (4 catches, 83 yards) vs. Pit. (9/9/07 with Cle.). Leads NFL with 8 catches & 115 yards on 3rd down... CB Ronde Barber aims for 3rd in row with INT. Is 1 of only 2 players in NFL history with 25+ sacks (25) & 30+ INTs (39). Had 2 INTs & FR in 10/21/01 game vs. Pit. DE Tim Crowder tied career-high with 2 sacks last week & had FF. LB Quincy Black had sack vs. Panthers.

Results and Schedule

Pittsburgh Steelers
Week	Date	Opp	H/A	Score	Dif
1	2010-09-12	ATL	H	W 15-9	+6
2	2010-09-19	TEN	A	W 19-11	+8
3	2010-09-26	TB	A	W 38-13	+25
4	2010-10-03	BAL	H
5		Bye
6	2010-10-17	CLE	H
7	2010-10-24	MIA	A
8	2010-10-31	NO	A
9	2010-11-08	CIN	A
10	2010-11-14	NE	H
11	2010-11-21	OAK	H
12	2010-11-28	BUF	A
13	2010-12-05	BAL	A
14	2010-12-12	CIN	H
15	2010-12-19	NYJ	H
16	2010-12-23	CAR	H
17	2011-01-02	CLE	A

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week	Date	Opp	H/A	Score	Dif
1	2010-09-12	CLE	H	W 17-14	+3
2	2010-09-19	CAR	A	W 20-7	+13
3	2010-09-26	PIT	H	L 13-38	-25
4		Bye
5	2010-10-10	CIN	A
6	2010-10-17	NO	H
7	2010-10-24	STL	H
8	2010-10-31	ARI	A
9	2010-11-07	ATL	A
10	2010-11-14	CAR	H
11	2010-11-21	SF	A
12	2010-11-28	BAL	A
13	2010-12-05	ATL	H
14	2010-12-12	WAS	A
15	2010-12-19	DET	H
16	2010-12-26	SEA	H
17	2011-01-02	NO	A

Injury Report

Pittsburgh Steelers
Out	QB Dennis Dixon (Knee) OG Trai Essex (Ankle)
Probable	NT Casey Hampton (Hamstring) OG Chris Kemoeatu (Knee) OT Max Starks (Ankle) WR Hines Ward (Calf)
Suspended	QB Ben Roethlisberger (Personal Conduct, 2010 games 1-6)
IR	OT Willie Colon (Achilles)
PUP	OT Chris Scott (Foot)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Questionable	OC Jeff Faine (Calf) RB Kareem Huggins (Groin) MLB Niko Koutouvides (Ankle) CB Myron Lewis (Knee)
Probable	QB Josh Freeman (Thumb) RB Cadillac Williams (Hamstring) TE Kellen Winslow (Knee)
Suspended	FS Tanard Jackson (Substance Abuse, indefinitely)
IR	OLB Jon Alston (Undisclosed)

Offense Stats Comparison

	PIT Offense	TB Offense	NFL Avg.	Adv.
Points for	17.0	18.5	19.5	TB
Rushing yards	124.5	107.0	105.0	PIT
Rushing yards per attempt	3.89	3.34	3.86	PIT
Completion %	62.8%	54.7%	61.2%	PIT
Passing yards	116.0	173.5	215.3	TB
Passing yards per completion	8.59	11.97	10.53	TB
Passing yards per attempt	5.40	6.55	6.45	TB
Interceptions	0.5	0.5	1.1	-
Fumbles lost	0.5	0.5	0.8	-
Sacks allowed	3.5	1.5	2.1	TB
3rd down conversions	20.7%	41.9%	37.6%	TB
4th down conversions	0.0%	0.0%	43.1%	-
Time of possession	32:53	31:35	30:13	PIT

Defense Stats Comparison

	PIT Defense	TB Defense	NFL Avg.	Adv.
Points against	10.0	10.5	19.5	PIT
Rushing yards	52.0	111.5	105.0	PIT
Rushing yards per attempt	2.21	3.98	3.86	PIT
Completion %	64.6%	50.7%	61.2%	TB
Passing yards	214.5	197.5	215.3	TB
Passing yards per completion	8.41	11.62	10.53	PIT
Passing yards per attempt	5.43	5.90	6.45	PIT
INT return	2.0	2.0	1.1	-
Fumble recoveries	2.0	1.0	0.8	PIT
Sacks	3.0	2.0	2.1	PIT
3rd down conversions	33.3%	34.5%	37.6%	PIT
4th down conversions	100.0%	60.0%	43.1%	TB
Time of possession	28:25	28:25	30:13	PIT

Special Teams Stats Comparison

	PIT	TB	NFL Avg.	Adv.
Yards per punt return	6.7	7.5	8.9	TB
Yards per kick return	46.0	22.7	22.3	PIT
Yards allowed per punt return	12.6	5.3	8.9	TB
Yards allowed per kick return	22.4	16.6	22.3	TB

Misc Stats Comparison

	PIT	TB	NFL Avg.	Adv.
Penalties	4.5	5.0	6.2	PIT
Penalty yards	30.0	42.5	52.1	PIT

Note: Team statistics are shown as the average per game through Weeks 1 to 2 of the 2010 season with no adjustment. Once more weeks are played, these stats will tabulate the last 6 weeks results and deduct the best and worst value from the data set.

Weather

Team vs. Team History

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Season	Week	Date	Vis	Home	Score	Winner
2001	6	2001-10-21	PIT	TB	17-10	PIT
2002	16	2002-12-23	PIT	TB	17-7	PIT
2006	13	2006-12-03	TB	PIT	3-20	PIT

Note: Only playoff games from the 2004 to 2009 seasons are included in the team vs. team history. Playoff games from seasons prior to 2004 are not currently included in the database.

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