Passing Yards Adds Steelers In Game

Football Betting Lines

San Francisco holds a slim 10-9 edge in its all-time series with Pittsburgh, with the Steelers closing the gap with a 37-16 home rout when these teams last met in 2007. The 49ers had taken four of the previous five bouts in the set prior to that loss, including a 30-14 verdict at Candlestick Park in 2003. The Steelers last won in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 1999, a 27-6 victory.

 

WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL

 

WHEN THE 49ERS HAVE THE BALL

 

San Francisco generally employs a conservative, ball-control philosophy that's been highly effective when workhorse running back Frank Gore (1054 rushing yards, 6 TD, 16 receptions) is at his best. That was certainly the case when the hard-nosed veteran ripped off five consecutive 100-yard games during a midseason tear, but he's been less of a factor down the stretch while fighting through some nagging injuries. The 49ers still sit seventh in the NFL in rushing offense (126.9 ypg) and have a league-low 10 giveaways on the year, with cerebral quarterback Alex Smith (2565 passing yards, 15 TD, 5 INT) having a fine season in what's been essentially a caretaker's role. There are some issues to sort out for the playoffs, though. San Francisco is at the bottom of the standings in red-zone execution, having produced touchdowns on an unwanted 35.6 percent of such drives, and Smith has been sacked 18 times over the past three weeks after being taken to the turf on five occasions by the Cardinals. The former No. 1 overall pick may be without his blind-side protector on Monday as well, with left tackle Joe Staley questionable after sustaining a concussion against Arizona. San Francisco doesn't throw the ball a whole lot, but young wide receiver Michael Crabtree (55 receptions, 2 TD) and athletic tight end Vernon Davis (49 receptions, 5 TD) have both been reliable targets for Smith.

 

KEYS TO THE GAME

 

Pittsburgh is going to have to rely on its defense whether or not Roethlisberger suits up, and how the AFC powerhouses perform on that side of the ball is often an indicator of their success. The Steelers are 9-0 when giving up 306 total yards or less this season, and the 49ers average only a shade above that number on offense for the year.

 

Roethlisberger is rarely at a loss for drama, whether it's on or off the field, and his history says there's a pretty good chance he's in the huddle with his teammates come Monday. And the Steelers will need their clutch quarterback in this game, with the 49ers likely to shut down any attempts Pittsburgh makes at running the ball. San Francisco's been able to win double-digit games largely by establishing an efficient ground attack and playing superior defense than its foe, but both of those chores will be tough to accomplish against the Steelers. Experience counts as well, and Pittsburgh's familiarity with participating in high-stakes affairs combined with the 49ers' newness to the scene puts another check mark in the column of the reigning AFC champs, who seem to possess the requisite skills that their opponent could have plenty of trouble dealing with.

 

Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox had surgery Monday to stabilize a vertebra in his mid-to-lower back. The procedure was successful and the prognosis for Knox's football future is positive. No timetable has been set for his return.

 

Knox was taken off the field on a stretcher after taking a hard hit during Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

 

"Johnny has total movement throughout his body, has total use of all his extremities, which is good," Bears head coach Lovie Smith said after the game. "We're doing tests right now, but he has total movement. He is not paralyzed or anything like that."

 

It was only fitting that on the "Bizarro Sunday" of an already out-of-order 2011 season -- a session that saw the Colts win, the Packers lose and eight of the 13 triumphant teams fielding an inferior record than the one it vanquished -- the schizophrenic Chargers capped it all off with a resounding exclamation point that few observers saw coming, though maybe perhaps they should have.

 

Sunday's emphatic result and three-game winning streak San Diego is now riding has re-established the Chargers as a viable player in the conference race, though their path to a possible division title remains an uphill climb. At 7-7, the Bolts still sit a game behind Cinderella Denver in the AFC West with two to play, and the Broncos would win out in a tie-breaker if both teams finished with nine victories. Denver travels to deflated Buffalo, losers of seven straight, this coming Saturday.

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